Austin Reaves’s role change in the first and second lines during the period of holding the ball – NBA – Basketball | Sports Vision

In just two seasons, Austin Reaves went from undrafted to an important role player, and even became a key player in the playoffs. The speed and difficulty of this jump should not be underestimated. In the 2022-23 season, Reaves averaged 13 points, 3.4 assists and 39.8% of his outstanding performance, making him the main force of the Lakers. They spent 56 million in four years to keep him in the offseason.

However, a successful follow-up will bring more expectations. Reaves’s rapid rise makes Lakers fans believe that he not only has more room for growth, but also will continue to climb.

Reaves’ biggest improvement during last year’s playoff run all the way to the Western Conference Championship was in his ball-handling offense. Initially responsible for running the ball without the ball next to star players such as LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Reaves quickly gained the trust of his teammates and coaches by taking advantage of every opportunity to control the ball.

In any tense and critical game, Reaves showed calmness and confidence beyond his experience. As the team’s main offensive initiator, Reaves allowed James and Davis to take a short rest. With his superb skills and courage, Reaves cleverly to break through the opponent’s defense.

Against smaller defenders, Reaves can cleverly use his body to create offensive space, just like using screens to “trap” opponents after a pick-and-roll. When Reaves confronts a larger defender, he will use fake moves to induce the opponent’s excessive aggression and cause fouls. Even if it seems that he is being defended, he can find a breakthrough like magic.

Reaves’ excellent ball-handling ability convinced the Lakers that he can take on more responsibilities. Although the season has only been 12 games, the 25-year-old Reaves’ role and responsibilities on the offensive end have increased significantly. His usage rate and assist rate have both reached reached career highs while taking more dribbles and playing more minutes per touch than ever before.

Although Reaves’ ball-carrying burden has gradually shifted from James, who is entering his 21st season, except for the responsibility of creating offensive opportunities, Reaves’ entire transition period has not been smooth.

Reaves’ efficient shooting in the past two seasons has dropped to career lows in the 2023-24 season, and his turnover rate has increased to a new high of 13.2%.

The slump and inconsistency Reaves has endured involves multiple factors, and in most cases, it’s part of the overall picture. First, fatigue will be an important factor. Reaves played more than 1,000 minutes more this season than the previous season. In addition, there are playoffs and the summer wearing the United States team jersey to compete in the World Cup, and both played An important role, and soon began training in the Lakers training camp.

Because Reaves has the ball more often, he needs to continue to penetrate the defense to create advantages or scoring opportunities. Reaves’ size and athleticism are already at a disadvantage in the NBA, and he has to rely on his ball-handling skills or using pick-and-rolls. According to official NBA data, Reaves averaged 7.4 shot attempts per game this season after dribbling the ball at least once, and 2.9 of them came after dribbling the ball more than 7 times. This number is almost higher than his last season. That’s an average of three more times per game (4.5).

The increased frequency of holding the ball and launching offenses puts a greater strain on Reaves, especially his legs and jump shots. Reaves’ shooting touch dropped significantly in the Lakers’ first nine games, with his field goal and three-point shooting percentages falling to career lows of 41.6% and 27.8% respectively.

Although Reaves’ statistics are expected to correct as the sample size of games expands, what’s more worthy of attention than his mistakes is how his expanded role affects his shooting.

With the Lakers setting Reaves at the center of their playbook, Reaves isn’t able to benefit from his star teammate as often as he once did. Only 40% of Reaves’ points this season have come from assists, down 16% from last year and 34% from his rookie season.

This highlights Reaves’ need to create his own chances, often on the move. The change in Reaves’ usage did not affect his past role without the ball. He still set up reverse pick-and-rolls for James and went to fixed spots to wait for shooting opportunities. However, as Reaves transitioned from finisher to creator, these off-ball roles had to take a backseat.

According to Synergy, Reaves has been the pick-and-roll ball handler for 38 percent of his possessions, averaging 5.9 times per game. Those numbers are up from his 26.3% rate and 2.8 possessions per game last season.

While Reaves is no stranger to operating in the pick-and-roll, the challenge he faces comes more from how to adjust his operations in the Lakers’ new 5-out scheme.

In theory, 5-out will create more space and opportunities for the ball carrier, but players still need to accurately grasp the boundaries and gaps in the formation, which requires patience and practice, especially considering that rotation players will have injuries and Need to adapt to the habits of new teammates.

In the possessions in which Reaves has taken control of the Lakers’ offense, he has seemed a little stiff and uncertain, and doing what he thinks is right rather than what he feels is right, which goes against Reaves’ past prowess at improvisation.