The Los Angeles Lakers are overall looking good with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves leading the way while LeBron James is still sidelined.
However, it hasn’t all been perfect in Laker Land, as most recently, the team was blown out in a 29-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. In what was the team’s worst loss of the season, Doncic and Reaves each finished with a career low in scoring, with 17 and 13 points, respectively.
Speaking after the game, Reaves was open about the uneven score by the final whistle.
“They did what we wanted to do. Just to be blunt, they beat the [expletive] out of us tonight,” the shooting guard said. “There’s still a lot of basketball to play, we feel we can get to that level, but just tonight it wasn’t anywhere close. But I believe we can get there, we have our pieces to get there.”
The Lakers’ 92 points were their lowest total of the season, while also shooting a season-low 40.3% from the field as a team. Along with Doncic and Reaves’ below-20-point scoring numbers, Rui Hachimura (13) and Dalton Knecht (16) were the only two LA players to reach double-digit points.
Lakers React To Worst Loss Of Season
Reaves’ reaction made headlines, but he wasn’t the only member of the Lakers who had strong words after the defeat. Speaking in the locker room to reporters, Marcus Smart, who scored nine points on 1/5 shooting after getting the start, gave a blunt omission.
“There’s nothing you can take away. Other than we got our (butt) kicked, and we got to bounce back,” he said. “We got to be better, especially against this team.”
Speaking on the team as a whole after the loss, JJ Redick gave a slightly zoomed-out view of where Los Angeles currently stands. The second-year coach said that the team’s road trip hasn’t gone well, and after dropping two of their last three, he doesn’t think their most recent losses reflect what they could look like in the future.
“I don’t think it’s been a great road trip for us,” Redick said. “The Atlanta game and tonight I don’t think are reflective of who the group is going to be, but it clearly is who the group is right now.”
Doncic’s postgame press conference was heavily focused on the firing of Nico Harrison, resulting in minimal response about the loss. He did say he is focused on the Lakers, but like Smart and Redick, didn’t point to anything in particular to take away from the OKC loss.
Seven of the Lakers’ next eight games are against teams with a sub-.500 records, which is one positive for them to look forward to. However, 12 games in, they are 8-4, sitting fifth in the Western Conference standings.
One Game Doesn’t Take Anything From Doncic And Reaves
While it was their worst loss of the year, with their two stars having their worst statistical performance of the year, it did come against the defending champions. It doesn’t bode well for a potential playoff matchup, but the loss does highlight the importance of the two stars on Redick’s roster.
So far this year, Doncic is averaging 34.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.9 assists on 47.6% shooting. He has only played eight games, but his scoring average is first, assist average is tied for fourth, and rebounding is 15th. Even after the historic performances put up in years prior, the Slovenian is making his best case at the MVP award, while leading his team to a winning record.
The same sentiment is true for Reaves, as while he hasn’t kept up the MVP-level tear he was on to begin the year, he is setting himself up for his first All-Star appearance. In nine games, he is recording an average of 28.3 points (6th), 5.1 rebounds, and 8.3 assists (6th) per game on 47% from the field.
While the elevation wasn’t completely unexpected, considering the missed time by James and Doncic, including his strong play last year, Reaves is setting himself up for a monster payday next summer.
“This summer, Reaves is eligible to sign a five-year, $241 million deal with the Lakers, and four years, $178.5 million elsewhere, per (ESPN’s Bobby) Marks,” Dave McMenamin wrote.
It could be an uphill battle for the Lakers to keep Reaves next season. However, they can offer more than any other team, and if his numbers stay firm, it would be hard to see Los Angeles letting the guard leave over the offseason.
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