Recent Austin Reeves report explains bad play in Lakers-Timberwolves series

For the majority of the NBA season, Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves looked like he could be the third best offensive player on a championship team. During the playoffs it was a different story. 

It was clear something was off with Reaves against the Minnesota Timberwolves and now we have an explanation. A left big toe sprain, severe enough to sideline him for 2-4 weeks, plagued Reaves, per Trevor Lane’s report. 

He was supposed to miss 2-4 weeks, but avoided walking on it during off days in order to continue playing. With a trip to the NBA Finals in mind, he refused to sit. Although it’s commendable what he did for his team, his production took a clear dip.

After a career year where he averaged 20.2 points per game on 46.1/37.7/87.7 shooting splits, Reaves put up a quiet 16.2 points in the first round while shooting noticeably worse at 41.1/31.9/85.7. 

After watching five games of that series, most observers would agree that Minnesota had major advantages due to their size and strength. Despite those challenges for Los Angeles, a healthy Reaves might have made things a lot more interesting. 

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Games four and five were both won by Minnesota, but only decided by 10 points combined. In just those two contests alone, Reaves shot 11/28 from the field, meaning only a few more makes could have seriously altered that series. 

From a wide lens, it was a very memorable season for the 26 year old shooting guard. Don’t let his recent form fool you, if anything it should prove his worth even more for the coming seasons. 

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