Austin Reeves showed why he’s considered the best third option in the NBA as he dropped 51 points and led the Los Angeles Lakers to victory without Luka Doncic.
With an injured Luka Doncic watching from the sideline, the Los Angeles Lakers stole a game on the road against the Sacramento Kings.
Austin Reeves became the team’s number one option and played like an All-Star, leading the team with 50 points.
Deandre Ayton continued to improve, posting a double-double with 21 points and 15 rebounds.
Reaves and Ayton helped the Lakers avoid defeat without Luka Doncic. But a closer look at the games revealed some unsustainable practices for the Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers struggled to shoot the ball, shooting just 32.0 percent from beyond the arc.
Austin Reeves’ 6-of-10 shooting from deep was the biggest reason the Lakers’ 3-point percentage wasn’t bad.
If the Lakers want to have a chance to be competitive this season, they can’t have nights where they shoot this poorly on a regular basis.
The Los Angeles Lakers were constantly being pressured off the ball and forced into stupid turnovers by the Sacramento Kings’ relentless pressure.
This has been a long-standing problem for the Lakers who can’t consistently bring the right type of energy to both ends of the court.
The Lakers need to give their all on every play, especially during this time without Luka Doncic.
Tonight’s game saw the lead change hands several times between the Lakers and Kings. The Lakers have a habit of moving forward, but the Kings will fight back hard.
The Lakers led by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter. However, the Kings were able to quickly chip away at that lead.
This has been a long-standing issue for the Lakers, who are worried about being chased by their rivals. And unless they get used to being ahead of the game, this will continue to bother them.
The Lakers will be satisfied with their performance considering the number of star players they have. But Hollywood’s standards should be higher as they aim for an NBA championship.