Austin Reaves could play more point guard this coming season

The Lakers’ offense could be in the hands of Austin Reaves more often during the 2023-24 season.

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After the first couple of days of free agency, the Los Angeles Lakers seem to have a rather deep and versatile roster.

They’re especially deep and versatile at the guard and wing spots. D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves have agreed to stay on new contracts, while Gabe Vincent will replace the outgoing Dennis Schroder and Max Christie could be ready to crack the rotation.

Russell, Reaves and Vincent can all play well both on and off the ball, which will open options for Los Angeles. In fact, it reportedly plans on running Reaves more as its point guard or main initiator (h/t Lakers Daily).

Via The Athletic:

“The Lakers plan on running more of their offense through Reaves next season, unlocking the point guard skills he’s flashed through his first two years in the league, according to team sources not authorized to speak publicly.”

Reaves was a vastly improved player this past season compared to the 2021-22 campaign, which was his rookie year. The improvement in his outside shooting was vast, and he showed tremendous poise while handling the ball and facilitating L.A.’s offense.

He may not be a natural point guard, but he can chip in as a ball-handling and facilitating guard, and he played very well alongside Russell and LeBron James thanks to his versatility.