“F*ck that, I’m working” Austin Reaves disregards instructions from Lakers’ coaching staff
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Austin Reaves
Keanu Reaves is a mercenary and Austin Reaves is looking live up to that name and become one on the court himself. The Lakers are getting all the limelight this postseason, however they have appointed Darvin Ham as their new Head Coach for the 2022-2023 season, to make amends. The Los Angeles Lakers star-studded team not making into the playoffs was and has been one of the biggest talking points in and around the world of NBA. With One of the All-Time Greats, LeBron James himself, and two future Hall of Famers in Anthony Davis and freshly traded, Russell Westbrook, the Lakers looked scary on paper, not so much on court.
The 2022 NBA Draft came with expectations and seemed to break them all, and it certainly brought a lot of glamour. Lebron James just got to see a glimpse of the future of the Lakers and was quite convinced that it is in safe hands. the LA Lakers signed Scotty Pippen Jr. to a two-way contract and had Shareef O’Neal agree to play for them in the Summer League after the end of the draft. The two undrafted players, sons of former stalwarts, Scottie Pippen and Shaquille O’Neal, will now cherish the Lakers uniform. The Lakers are now focusing on their next generation of stars and Austin Reaves is one of them
“It’s my big focus” – Austin Reaves disregards Lakers coaching staff to train himself as he knows best
The Lakers had a stressful season with people questioning him over and over again, as the Lakers underperformed drastically. They started the season poorly and didn’t seem to take games seriously until after the All-Star break. There seemed to be a lack of urgency among the players in general, with all the injuries, they never developed any rhythm. While some players were disappointed, there were a few who stepped up. Austin Reaves is one who shined on the biggest stage. And he is letting nothing stop him from getting better.
Austin’s goals of earning a roster spot with the Purple & Gold and being a solid contributor in former head coach Frank Vogel’s rotation were achieved. Reaves’ other goal of winning a championship may have fell astronomically short, but that was because of the Lakers’ shortcomings as a whole last season. However, this season he is aiming to come back even stronger and complete the journey he once set out on. Through an interview with the Athletic, reaves revealed that when the Lakers told him to slow down this summer, he fired back with a response which Kobe would be proud of.
“Individually, I think it went about as good as it could have gone for me, Doing all those things was special. And as a team, I mean, to say the least, it sucked, to be honest. We had high expectations for ourselves and felt like we just couldn’t piece it together throughout the year. For me, the main goal is always to win, so it sucked in that aspect.” Austin reaves said in an interview
Reaves still has a lot to prove as a pro in this league. His game is still raw, and he has many kinks to work out before he becomes a long-term staple on the Lakers’ roster. But he knows what it takes to be great, and he’s ready for the grind, he knows how much work he has to put in to be at the level of the other stars in the league.
If you’re the Lakers, you want to do whatever you can to protect and preserve the future. With young guns like Talen Horton-Tucker and Austin Reaves, they have players to develop, which can help give them options going forward. With the few draft picks they still control, the Lakers also have some assets to work with that can help pull them out of the gutter if things get ugly in a few years.
The Lakers had a drastically poor record of 33-49 , as they move on from this nightmarish season , they will have to make plenty of moves to get back on track. The mindset Austin Reaves has inculcated in himself, is one which would not just help the Lakers but could mean the rise of a new star in the NBA. However, he could try listening to his coaches and physios for a change, perhaps ?
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Aditya Minocha
(216 Articles Published)