LOS ANGELES – When the Los Angeles Lakers traded D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets final month, it meant Austin Reaves was formally the full-time start line guard. That transfer was sort of made clear when Lakers head coach JJ Redick moved Russell to the bench early within the season. However the commerce cleared any remaining doubt. By Reaves’ personal admission, he’s studying his new function on the fly. It is include a studying curve, together with elevated turnovers, however Redick is not too involved with that a part of Austin Reaves’ sport as a result of LeBron James.
Previous to the Lakers’ sport in opposition to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, which marked Russell’s first sport again as an opponent for the reason that commerce, JJ Redick acknowledged why LeBron James is the rationale he is not alarmed by Austin Reaves’ fluctuating variety of turnovers.
“I feel you need to be keen to reside with some turnovers with Austin as a result of he performs at a sure tempo, and he is like LeBron, keen to make daring and troublesome passes at instances. That is a part of what makes these guys nice shot creators,” Redick mentioned. “There’s not a noticeable distinction by way of play model from him.”
One factor that Redick did acknowledge was that Reaves, like James, is seeing an elevated stage of defensive consideration from opposing groups by advantage of being a main ball-handler.
“There are particular groups, as a result of he’s our main ball-handler, there are specific groups which have guys which are disruptive. They choose up full-court,” Redick mentioned. “So it is actually a sport by sport factor relying on the opposite workforce’s personnel for each LeBron and Austin, by way of what kind of strain they’re getting. And that may clearly result in some turnovers.”
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Austin Reaves’ as Lakers’ full-time level guard
By means of the 4 seasons that Reaves has been within the NBA, he holds a profession common of 1.6 turnovers in comparison with 4.0 assists. This season, his turnovers have elevated to round 2.5 per sport in comparison with 6.2 assists. Each are career-highs.
He is had video games such because the 14 factors, 14 assists and 0 turnovers he completed with in opposition to the Miami Warmth earlier this week. Then he is had video games akin to earlier this month in opposition to the Atlanta Hawks six assists and 6 turnovers.
In Reaves’ final ten video games, he is averaging 8.8 assists and three.3 turnovers, as per StatMuse. Up to now 4 video games, nevertheless, he is averaged only one.5 turnovers whereas dispensing 8.3 assists. Clearly, as Redick mentioned, a few of it comes with the territory of turning into a main ball-handler and shot creator. But when the previous couple of video games are any indication, Reaves might have discovered a approach to restrict his turnovers whereas nonetheless with the ability to create shot alternatives for his teammates.