The Lakers’ Austin Reaves recently submitted a request to end his contract due to continuous benching.
The Los Angeles Lakers are once again on the verge of mediocrity halfway through the season as they start the New Year at 17-17. Nevertheless, as the starting lineup tries to settle into a groove, fan favorite guard Austin Reaves is still limited to the bench. Reaves recently shared his thoughts on the matter, saying that he is dedicated to winning and will take any necessary action to turn things around.
“Whatever my role, I get to play basketball for a living. All that matters is that I will help our team, no matter what they ask me to do. To me, winning is everything.
Reaves attributed the recent decline to injuries, pointing out that players have been “in-and-out of the lineup” for the entire campaign. Though not everyone agrees that injuries are the main issue at the moment, Reaves hasn’t shown any indications of doubting.
“I have to go play that role to the best of my abilities because you never know when you might start or come off the bench.
There are hints of impending issues behind the scenes. Reaves’s limited role this season may be the result of a possible feud between him and head coach Darvin Ham, according to recent rumors. Even though Reaves is currently the team’s third-best player and its most dependable premier shooter, he is still limited to the bench while rookies Jarred Vanderbilt and Cam Reddish get more playing time with the starting lineup. It is unclear how this will end, but fans are beginning to realize and are becoming more vocal in their demands for Austin to receive a bigger share of the pie.
Any additional changes to the rotation run the risk of alienating Ham from the locker room, as he has already rotated the starters multiple times this season. Darvin will need to put his disagreement with Reaves behind him and rely more on him to support LeBron James and Anthony Davis in order to prevent further criticism and possibly earn himself a spot on the hot seat.
The Crucial Is Austin
Austin Reaves showed he was a player worth sticking with for the long term by playing a major role in the Lakers’ run to the Western Conference Finals the previous season. Reaves was expected to be a potential All-Star for the Lakers coming into the season, but he has only been mediocre at best, and there is a feeling that the Lakers
continue to anticipate hearing from him.
Austin has averaged 15.1 points, 4.9 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 47% shooting through 34 games this season. Although these results are an improvement over the previous campaign, the Lakers still need to perform even better to be considered a serious contender in the West. If not, Reaves might be the one moved in a desperate attempt to turn things around. In any case, Austin is essential to this team’s success and will influence future developments, for better or ill.
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