Austin

Reaves

Reaves came alive in the fourth quarter and had nine points over the final six minutes of the game as the Lakers traded leads with the Nuggets. It didn’t end up being enough to keep their season alive, but Reaves was still able to turn in a solid stat line. This was year one of a four year deal that has been a bargain for the Lakers. That flexibility should allow the Lakers to reload this summer, with Reaves being one of the only players outside of LeBron James and Anthony Davis that should be a safe bet to be wearing purple and gold again next season.

After scoring 22 points in the first two games of this series, Reaves tallied 22 and 21 in the Lakers’ two home games. He’s been a more consistent supplementary scoring option than D’Angelo Russell, who bounced back from a brutal Game 3 to score 21 points in Game 4. While D’Lo may offer a higher ceiling to DFS players, Reaves may be the safer option for Game 5 on Monday in Denver.

Reaves was one of three Lakers starters to score at least 22 points, but that wasn’t enough to avoid an 11th straight loss to the Nuggets. D’Angelo Russell going scoreless and Rui Hachimura finishing with five points certainly didn’t help matters for the Lakers, who need a win on Saturday to extend their season. Reaves matched his point total from the first two games in Game 3 while accumulating four steals. That’s positive momentum he can take into Game 4; whether or not it matters is another conversation, given Denver’s mastery of the Lakers.

Reaves was one of three Lakers to dish out at least six assists, with him, D’Angelo Russell (six), and LeBron James (nine) responsible for 21 of the 24 helpers. He has been a solid supplementary playmaker this season, and Reaves will also need to step up defensively as the Lakers advance to take on Denver in the first round. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray scored 20 points or more in four straight games to end the regular season. Game 1 of the series is Saturday in Denver.

Reaves has been on a tear lately and that continued in this game. He is averaging 20.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.8 triples over their last four games. Two games ago, he had a triple-double with 14 rebounds, and in their last game he had a double-double with 11 assists. It wasn’t enough to extend their winning streak past five games, but he’ll look to stay productive in Brooklyn on Sunday. That will be their final game of the week before they play another four games next week.

James sat out Tuesday, but Anthony Davis (34 points, 23 boards), D’Angelo Russell (29/7/12) and Austin Reaves (29/14/10) led the way in Los Angeles’ thrilling 2OT win over Milwaukee. James’ return should mean fewer ball-handling responsibilities for Reaves and Russell and a reduced role for Taurean Prince and Rui Hachimura.

With LeBron James (ankle) sidelined, the Lakers needed additional production from their other critical contributors in Milwaukee. Reaves was one of the players who stepped up, as he tallied his first triple-double since the final game of the 2021-22 season (and second of his career). Over the past two weeks, Reaves has averaged 19.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.3 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 2.8 3-pointers while shooting 46.3% from the field and 84.8% from the foul line. That production has been good for 4th-round per-game value in 8- and 9-cat formats.

Reaves was the lone Lakers starter not to shoot at least 50% from the field, but he made up for that with a productive night at the foul line. He matched his season-high free throw attempts (12) while establishing a new high in makes (11). And the eight assists are the most in a game for Reaves since March 2, when he racked up 14 in a loss to the Nuggets. Over the past two weeks, Reaves has provided 6th-round value in 8- and 9-cat formats, one round better than his season-long value. The Lakers play four games in Week 22, beginning with the Bucks on Tuesday.

While the Lakers received little production from D’Angelo Russell (6/2/6/1/1 with one 3-pointer in 33 minutes), Reaves had one of his best games of the season. While he has not failed to reach double figures in a game since February 5, Reaves had not scored 20 or more since February 14 (22 vs. Utah). Over the past month, the offensive consistency has made him a 4th-round player in 8- and 9-cat formats, exceeding his season-long value. The only negative for managers who have Reaves rostered is the schedule, as the Lakers only play once more in Week 20 (Saturday vs. GSW).

Reaves and fellow starting guard D’Angelo Russell combined to score 28 points, but they did so on 9-of-25 shooting from the field. And they had no answer for De’Aaron Fox, who went off for a season-high 44 points. Reaves has not failed to reach double figures since February 5 (nine vs. Charlotte), and that consistency is one reason why he’s provided top 50 per-game value in 9-cat formats over the past month. Providing 7th-round value in 8- and 9-cat formats for the season, Reaves has exceeded his Yahoo ADP (90) to this point. Russell, who has also outperformed his Yahoo ADP (98), finished Wednesday’s defeat with 10 points, one rebound, three assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers in 35 minutes.