The Lakers may have made an impressive start to the season, but Austin Reaves is reminding his teammates that they are still a long way from having everything figured out.
Los Angeles improved to 6-2 with Monday’s 138-117 win over the Miami Heat, producing arguably its best offensive performance of the campaign.
However, with several new players still adjusting to their roles, Reaves knows there will be challenges along the way.
“Yeah, I think it’s the one thing we gotta remind ourselves is how new this group is,” Reaves said after the victory. “We’re seven games in now. There’s gonna be growing pains. Walker hasn’t in his career, played with guards that have been shocked that much, so it’s new for him to find that pocket to be a playmaker and create the advantage. But just trying to make the right play every single possession and be in the right spots. We’re just gonna keep harping [on] that because it’s gonna happen to Luka basically every night.”
The 27-year-old also highlighted how much easier Doncic makes the game for everyone around him.
“It’s fun. Yeah,” Reaves added. “Obviously, Luka’s doing incredible things and when he’s doing that, it just opens up the floor for everybody else to play free and confident, and I feel like that’s what we did tonight.”
Doncic finished the Heat victory with 42 points and 13 assists, while Reaves contributed 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting. The Lakers also recorded 39 assists on 51 made baskets.
With nine new players joining the roster this season, Reaves understands that building chemistry will take time. But his message is clear: keep making the right play, trust the process and don’t expect everything to click overnight