LeBron James’ usage percentage is markedly down this season, mostly due to Austin Reaves sharing ball-handling duties with the Lakers star.
And with Luka Doncic about to make his Lakers debut next week, James is expected to defer even more and play off the ball. Such a scenario could lead to Reaves becoming all but dispensable from the Lakers.
Reaves — averaging a career-high 18.4 points and 6.1 assists — thrives with the ball in his hands and has earned the trust of head coach JJ Redick, especially in late-game situations. However, Doncic’s arrival inevitably means the Slovenian will be the Lakers’ go-to option in the clutch, making Reaves somewhat redundant.
It also doesn’t help that Reaves isn’t a catch-and-shoot threat who can come off pindowns and demand the attention of defenses. He’s averaging only 3.9 catch-and-shoot tries this season, converting on a mediocre 38.8 percent of those attempts. He is also subpar on his pull-up jumpers, making only 1.9 of 5.2 field goals per game at 37.6 percent.
Those numbers scream of a player who struggles to impact a game off the ball.
Even more worryingly, Reaves is not the best of perimeter defenders and routinely gets blown past by quicker guards. Case in point: De’Aaron Fox shoots 70 percent when guarded by Reaves, Cade Cunningham shoots 57.1 percent and Donovan Mitchell 77.8 percent. Reaves’ mediocre defense is a big reason the Lakers rank No. 21 in defense, allowing teams to make 13.3 threes per game.
The idea of Reaves, James — a subpar defender in Year 22 — and Doncic in the starting unit doesn’t bode well for the Lakers defense. It might be in the Lakers’ best interest to trade Reaves or bring him off the bench. Regardless of the route they take, Reaves stands to lose the most from Doncic’s arrival in Los Angeles.