One Los Angeles Lakers player whose stock has been rising is Austin Reaves. He is coming off a revelatory season in which he gradually elevated his game while putting forth some big performances in the playoffs. Reaves was a major reason the Lakers defied the odds and reached the Western Conference finals, setting up their championship expectations for this season.
Just weeks ago, the undrafted guard played very well for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup. Although it failed to win a medal, Reaves gave them a shot at the gold medal until its penultimate contest.
On Friday, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham announced Reaves will not play in the team’s preseason opener versus the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.
Austin Reaves won’t play tomorrow in San Francisco, as LAL continue to monitor his on-court time following his Team USA experience.
Darvin Ham did mention how good Reaves looked in practice today, and how he’s eager to get him on the game floor.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) October 6, 2023
At the same time, Ham said Reaves was very impressive during practice on Friday.
Anthony Davis on Reaves' performance in Friday's scrimmage: "Austin had a hell of a day today. I don’t think he missed a shot – besides the one that I contested" https://t.co/IrTBciF06a
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 6, 2023
Reaves will join LeBron James on the bench for Saturday’s contest. James will not play either as the Lakers look to manage his workload at the start of his 21st NBA season.