Austin Reaves Discussion: Overachiever Who Underachieved

I thought he played really well in the first half.

Need to pair with a guard or a SF who can be your main POA defender. Just doesn't have the legs to go all out on defense and able to hit jumpers

 

This right here. He's trying but that's just too much. Hopefully he gets stronger in the off-season.

 

he's had a rough series, but it's not fair to ask a 12M per player to be a third option or something. our problem is that we have a platooned third option (reaves/dlo/rui), and all three no-showed simultaneously. denver's 2-headed third option both delivered big time in game 3, but they are paid significantly more. wonder if there's something to that.

 

Yeah they’re paid more because they’re better players whoever built these players around Joker and Murray is a genius

 

Austin is a great bargain at 12M. But he's not a 24M type of guy either.

 

He was great and seemed to be getting better as the series went along.

Those missed FTs were brutal though but like the Lebron box out he gave you so much else positive Tonight

 

I wish he asked for the ball and heaved it. Might be our last Austin game

 

He showed up tonight. I'd like him to play more minutes but maybe he was gassed.

I hope we keep him but he is the most sought after player we have.

 

Playing for Team USA was a bad decision .

Overall he's our 3rd best player , not DAR .

 

Not trading him for anything. Elimination game and he showed guts. Defended Murray all series and scored where he could. I wish he'd make those FTs, but alas...

 

We place Austin at such a high standards sometimes that we forgot that he was an undrafted over achiever

 

yeah, i'm really not interested in trading him unless a legit, in-his-prime all nba guy is coming back.

 

You get a championship team by keeping AR and making him your 4th best guy.
Just like Denver did with Gordon and MPJ. Either of them as a top 3 guys and it just doesn't work. I mean Gordon had a great game 3 but outside of some critical boards the Lakers neutralized him in game 4 and 5. Lebron went pretty hogwild on him.

 

Agreed, and he will just keep getting better. To see that though, you need to put a mask on and look below the surface. Most never see the shark ten feet away deciding if your going to be lunch or not. (Insert Jaws music)They swim in blissful ignorance...lol.

 

Also no Olympics to tire him out!

 

He's got that fire in him to WIN and will continue to get better .... skills and shooting wise .... because he's HIM and does subscribe to the Mamba Mentality. Works on his weaknesses as we've seen the improvement each year ..... handles, taking the ball to the rim, defense. And he is "sneaky" athletic enough to become better and more effective at all of it. Strength work this summer in between golf outings. Upside too of even more BOOM in his already prodigious drives. Maybe while lurking here he spots this perfect mate, looks her up and takes her away from whomever she's with and marries her.

 

Agreed. I posted this once but a good friend and basketball coach told me that Austin had trouble going from such good coaches back to Ham. Mentally it was very difficult along with having the tired legs. The players knew long before we did how bad of a coach Ham is and it was evident to anyone watching his first season. He immediately started doing dumb things and talking sideways.