The Los Angeles Lakers’ perimeter defense, led by ex-Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić and 21-time All-Star LeBron James, received a boost this offseason with the arrival of 2022 Defensive Player of the Year winner Marcus Smart as a free agent.
Los Angeles’ point-of-attack defense still has several questions, the most pressing of which concerns their 27-year-old offensive-minded talent.
He had a fantastic season with the Lakers in 2024-25, contributing career-highs across the board with 20.2 points.
He had a fantastic season for the Lakers in 2024-25, recording career highs in 20.2 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds in 73 games.
While Austin Reaves rise to prominence as a go-to scorer and playmaker benefited the squad, one NBA writer believes previous history shows Reaves may not be on the roster for long if he does not develop as a defender.
“Having already won 50 games in 2024-25, there’s ample reason to believe the Lakers can build upon their success in 2025-26,” FanSided’s Maxwell Ogden wrote Wednesday.
“If the past three NBA champions have proven anything, however, it’s that Los Angeles will have a self-imposed ceiling until extension-eligible rising star Austin Reaves improves defensively.”
“In the meantime, it will be difficult for the Lakers to justify handing Reaves a lucrative contract extension if he can’t match the defensive quality of the supporting guards who have won championships over the past three seasons.”
Reaves has the option to reject his player option for the 2026-27 season and become an unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2026, and the Lakers may consider moving on from the shifty shooting guard if he continues to perform poorly on the defensive end of the floor.
Despite recording a career-high 1.1 steals this season, Reaves finished with a 117 defensive rating per 100 possessions and -0.5 defensive box plus-minus. In the 2025 postseason, both of those figures fell to a dismal 120 and -2.0.
Although Reaves is a well-rounded tertiary option in the NBA, a Dončić-led team requires strong defensive players at all positions.
Leave a Reply