Austin Reaves Discussion: "Keeping The Vibes High"

This is fun

 

as long as you still root for the lakers. if you jump on the thunder bandwagon, contract terminated. like normal pest removal contracts.

 

Yeah, but would you wear a slinky dress with metallic red stilettos?

 

I'd do that!!!

 

I'm needing AR to come in focused right from the start. With the attention Luka is going to draw it is career year time. Not only hitting open shots but penetrating a spread defense and letting Ayton feast around the rim.

Defensively, AR and Luka have opportunity to be much better than most would think with an inspired Ayton behind them and Smart's smarts and toughness. This will actually come down to needing a better scheme from JJ. A little more creative thinking would be nice. Ironically, in some ways our season still hinges on LeBron. Can he accept a reduced role and be a team guy? If so we are championship material. If he can't, well, we will have to weigh our options... It is crazy to think how good we can be if all buy in and JJ brings a solid strategy. Lots of ifs which brings excitement and anticipation. Luka could start wearing a headband. Feels that urge to complain he can just pull it down and chew on it. Should be an amazing season.

 

yeah, we focus a lot on our lack of speed defensively (which is an issue) but we have size and smarts--there have to be ways to leverage that.

 

JJ wants to play like the C Bags. True 5-out, drive and kick on offense and heavy switching on defense. But we just don't have the personnel for that. We need to be a drop coverage team defensively, but not a deep drop because that plays into Ayton's passivity at times. Deep drop also puts more pressure on your on-ball defender to navigate the screen and recover to contest from behind, which we don't have great options for either. I think we should be a "shallow drop" team that brings Ayton a little closer up to the level of the screen (but not as high up as someone like Jokic) to utilize his great footspeed for a center. And then yeah, lean on Luka and LeBron's smarts in rotation.

JJ's not stupid; I'm sure he understands that his ideal version of how to play basketball matters less than just doing what best utilizes an all-time talent like Luka.

 

AR finished tied for 13th with 45 points at this year's American Century Championship at Lake Tahoe 2nd week in July, after finishing 13th in his first attempt with 47 in 2024. But he whupped the Bald Eagle by 3 places. Curry 5th. For the hordes of you who were curious.



Full Leaderboard *Click a player's name for scorecard details.
Round 1 Round 2 Round 3
Pos Player Total Thru
1 JOE PAVELSKI 73 F
2 JOHN SMOLTZ 64 F
3 JAKE OWEN 62 F
4 TAYLOR TWELLMAN 61 F
5 STEPHEN CURRY 58 F
6 MARK MULDER 57 F
7 ANNIKA SORENSTAM 55 F
8 TONY ROMO 54 F
9 MARDY FISH 53 F
10 MICHAEL PENA 51 F
T11 ADAM THIELEN 48 F
T11 MATT RYAN 48 F
T13 KEVIN MILLAR 45 F
T13 AUSTIN REAVES 45 F
15 AARON RODGERS 44 F
16 JACK WAGNER 40 F
17 ALEX CARUSO 37 F
18 DEREK LOWE 34 F
19 JOE MAUER 32 F
20 HALLY LEADBETTER 31 F
21 BRIAN URLACHER 30 F
22 CARSON DALY 29 F
23 JERRY RICE 28 F
T24 VINNY DEL NEGRO 27 F
T24 DEREK CARR 27

 

caruso! they could have been both an awesome backcourt AND golf buddies!

 

Yeah training camp is getting close..the rumor speculation mill, is about to get going in earnest.

 

pretty sure the spurs won't have the space. funny because they could have just signed him to that 4/100 offer sheet and tried to press us. i think reaves probably isn't too thrilled with them for not attempting there. cost him some cash.

the clippers should, though, and i'd bet they'd try.

 

LoL