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My yearly attempt at a player breakdown is here. As always, most of this is probably wrong, people here know way more than I do, and I strongly recommend nobody takes it seriously. Okay, here we go on Austin Reaves:
Austin is 25 years old, a legit 6’5″ 197 pounds with the natural skill and toughness of all Sooners, even the ones who have gone to the dark side.
This year’s FG% is 48.6% and his 3 point% is 36.7%. He took 420 threes this year so he almost always takes the open three.
His 2023 postseason stats went up to 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists. Lest we think this was him playing above his head, these are basically the same stats throughout the year this regular season.
Best I can tell there are three primary plays that the Lakers run “for” Reaves. These are plays that actually come in the flow of their offense such as it is, and I am obviously not including fast breaks or even secondary breaks because those plays are largely reactive. I’ll get back to the three plays but need to address the threat Reaves is on breaks and secondary breaks before the defense gets set. To keep his scoring down, the Nuggets MUST get back and set up the D quickly. Fortunately, we have been fantastic in the playoffs at doing this and will continue to be. Interestingly, it is easier to do this when the bench shortens in the playoffs and it is rarely mentioned as an advantage we have as such a tight, small, role-defined group. Familiarity leads to covering your partner on the court if they are caught deep in the O-zone and cannot get back immediately. There is less changing of roles and there is a comfort zone players feel when out there with the same few guys. This is one of the main reasons there are less possessions and more half-court basketball being played. Fantastic! JUST OUR SPEED!
Okay, back to the three Reaves plays in no specific order:
The right corner 3 off the pin-down baseline screen. Reaves shoots 40.7% from the right corner compared to a league average of 39.4%. The pin-down comes from a big, often AD. Reaves runs around LBJ up top and follows that arc out to the right corner. LBJ penetrates to the elbow or deeper, defensive help comes to stop ball, LBJ kicks out to Reaves in the corner with AD screening off the defense which is either firing out in the form of a big from underneath or it is Reaves’ original defender that ran under the screen and got sucked in to try to help stop LBJ. The most effective way to defend this, and the one we will use effectively, is for the guard defending Reaves to get around the high screen and follow Reaves all the way to the corner. Ideally, if they run this multiple times, we need to recognize that he is going to the corner and do not switch up top or it plays into the pin-down getting him free for the shot. The pin-down screen is not effective (essentially it is useless) if KCP or Murray or CB stays on him and gets all the way to the corner. Why doesn’t this all apply to the left corner? Reaves shoots 27.8% there as compared to a 38.7% league average.
The mid-range pop and/or finish at the rim off the cut from outside the elbow: Reaves runs from the top around a screen straight that is set straight out laterally from either elbow (more often the screen is on the left so that Reaves is going right into the lane). He is great at finishing this play. Shoots 54.3% in the high lane (8-15 feet) compared to league average 45.6%. He shoots 68.4% from 0-8 feet compared to 59.9% for the league. It is a tough 90 degree turn around the screen when he heads toward the lane but defending it is both easy and difficult. Easy to describe and comprehend, difficult to pull off for most teams. Reaves is significantly below league average at both elbows mid-range. The difference in his accuracy between the elbow and three to four more feet to the center of the lane is astonishing (27% to 54%). So you have to force him to stay out of the land and try to score like Jamal does from all angles in the mid-range no-mans land. He can’t do it. The defender either has to run under the lateral screen or get over it and stick with him. Yes, if the defense runs under it is possible Reaves can stop, take two steps back, receive the pass and shoot the three. But he’ll kill you if you let him attack from the center of the lane. Have to stop him and make him shoot from the elbow or pass back out. (one of the things watching tape of his mid-range game showed me is how special Murray is to be deadly from anywhere in the mid-range. A rare thing for a guard these days but it sure opens up the court and makes the offense more fluid and the “plays” more malleable and movable.
The pick and pop up top. He runs around a screen (or two), takes the high pass and shoots a 3 from up top. From straight out he is 6% better than league average but he is at or below league average from 10 feet to either side of dead center.
continued…
Jesi li sve ovo napisao, ili copy-paste?