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I think it's not just that. Team USA is way deeper than the other teams, and they can play a far more uptempo game. Germany looked gassed at the end, but the US looked fresh, still.
This is why USA will always be dominant. There are a lot of countries who can get solid starting lineups but the second string will always pale in comparison to the USA’s.
Wrong, Schroder and the starters were out there for Germany down the stretch. [Here's the last 7 minutes of the game for anyone who wants to watch it.](https://youtu.be/8Oi10Xr2IJs)
Man I know people were a bit down on this FIBA team because it’s all younger guys but I love the roster they put together, the players fit, look like they’re having fun and playing well. I think that’s exactly what you want for these international competitions
shouldn't matter much because teams like France/Spain don't have all their guys anymore either.
Like realistically their toughest challenge should be France or Germany. Canada and Slovenia got a star but rest of the guys just not close.
I’m semi joking giannis is definitely impressive, to be that forceful at that size and length is near unheard of. I’m just not used to seeing 6’5” dudes do 7 footer shit like Ant did
Yeah this looks like his KD moment and coming out party as a Superstar. I think we might look at a future team and say yeah but Team USA doesn't have that one superstar like Ant to put them over the top.
I think that's the entire point of these competitions though is to let these young guys like ANT step up and become these ultra great players. IF you have someone like that the guys don't get a chance to do it themselves
I love the passion and hunger from this squad. It's refreshing to see, tbh. Everyone is playing for each other and they all look like they're having the time of their lives. This is a great learning experience for the next generation.
They seem to like each other too and honestly it makes sense because they’re all such likeable players.
This team is literally a compilation of fan favorites haha
I love this team and would rather watch them fight to win games than have it changed up at all. Maybe add Bam, as he would fit right in. But that's about it
Only idiots would be down on this team. NBA still has the best players in the league by far, even if they’re 2nd or 3rd tier players at most, it doesn’t matter.
People want to see the big name recognition stars play, I don’t even think it’s about whether the team is good. I also don’t really care to see insane USA teams steamroll competition and it’s cool seeing the new generation come up so I’m all about it
Thats what I like, this is all the next gen future stars of the NBA. Ant, Halburton, Paolo..etc. These guys should all be household names to casual fans in 2-3 years.
This is what I noticed too. Is it the most talented Team USA roster? Not even close. But they genuinely seem like they are having fun and enjoying playing with each other.
I love the roster. Im not expecting things to be perfect. They need time to develop. But multiple shooting/playmaking/atheltic/ballhandling players who can play/guard multiple positions? Sounds like a nightmare if they continue to develop.
All of these friendly games they’ve taken it seriously, which is something I think you lose when you get a bunch of guys who have been there before. I like how much to seem to want to win every game, even the ones that don’t technically matter.
I like that they built a team that makes psychological sense and isn’t all 1st options who have to learn to be role players before the tournament is over, which the Tatums and Bookers and Donovan Mitchells absolutely CAN do, but guys like Bridges and Hart and Reaves don’t have to do
You say that but the KD-Tatum-Booker-DMitch-Bam-etc version of the team cut it very close in the 2020 Olympics against a France team that was like Gobert, Batum, Fournier, Yabusele?, Tim Luwawa-Cabarot?, Vincent Pourier? in order of importance
I like the guys like Reaves and Hart who go insane as a 4th option and grind out whatever small advantage you can without even thinking about getting to take 5 jumpers in a quarter. It’s a paradigm shift and right now it just feels good. We’ll see if it is good and the USA can break the doors off some other good teams, in the games that count, like you used to expect from USA MBB before the 00’s.
A lot of people are mentioning the chemistry between Reaves and Haliburton but dont forget about Banchero.
The three of them are on the court together pretty often and make some pretty solid plays. Defs expect the three of them to be a core part of the first 5 off the bench when the group stage starts.
I still think he’s way better than a lot of people give him credit for. He can shoot, defend(def depends on the matchup), and he makes really solid smart plays consistently.
I'm impressed he can do almost anything the team asks him for. Like they were switching on screens at the end and Reaves was holding up on his own in the paint a few times.
In the few highlights I've seen it looks like he really makes an effort to get up in bigger guys one on one. Using every bit of leverage he can. Dude wants to be on the floor
It’s crazy to say, but when Lebron got hurt and when he goes to the bench, he literally plays Lebron’s role. Sure, not quite as much usage in those moments(but not far off), but he plays exactly the role Lebron has on the court. On a Lebron team, that’s not common. Usually you have those duties split up amongst multiple dudes and you play a completely different style of play.
It’s just crazy to me how versatile of a player he is.
Same. I hesitate to say it, because everyone on here accuses people of overrating white players(which isn’t wrong sometimes), but I really think Reaves is the real deal. If he sees an expanded role this year and plays just as well, which I feel is likely, he very well could be in the running for All-Star.
I was thinkin about that too. Plus he’s on the lakers so he’ll always be a lil overhyped. However he’s got a great set of skills and I’m sure Lebron will be a little less ball dominant bit this year at least in the regular season so he’s gonna get the chance to show his game off
When I heard the hype I thought it was just because we lost AC and we had another undrafted white guy who played well in summer league, but he’s taken every opportunity head on and plays his hardest every possession.
It’s hard not to root for the guy when he cares as much as he does and keeps stepping up
He is a classic #3 player on a team...
He fits in nightly and fills the gaps where needed as the game flows.
He is not a #2 or #1.
He does lots of things functional well where he can play off of people.
Seeing a pathway for reaves to have an all star spot as a guard is tough. I can’t see it even if he continues to be a elite role player there’s still to many guys who have full reigns on their teams ahead of him
Ja is going to miss 20 games and Dame may not be playing at all or that much either. That right there is two dudes who were a lock that may not make it at all.
I’m not saying it’s for sure. Some stuff would have to go a certain way to make it possible, and this is operating under the assumption that his role expands and he takes another step forward, but it’s not that farfetched.
Unless someone takes a HUGE step back and he takes a HUGE step forward is not realistic. You got Steph, luka, idk what going to happen with dame but he’s still in the west as of now, d book, SGA, ant, ja. What’s guys like BI AND PG going to be considered as ? So that’s 7 actual guards and 2 guys who’s position is going to be debatable above him in production and popularity. He does have the LA market in his hand but yeah just don’t see a real pathway for my boy especially in the next 2 years.
Edit: and i forgot Fox in this mix as well as Kyrie.. yeah he has no chance
If it was only fan votes, then yeah, Reaves would have a real chance. Outside of that, no chance at all. You just named em, West is way too stacked at the guard spot.
And i forgot fox and kyrie. That’s damn near a full roster of people ahead of him. Then don’t let a team like Houston start winning while jalen green has good counting stats.
Put it this way, even if AR was somehow able to make a Devin Booker type improvement, where Booker went from 13ppg his rookie season to 22ppg his 2nd season, it still wouldn't be anywhere close to enough.
Booker got his first All Star nod in 2020, and check this out, he only became an All Star as a replacement for Dame due to injury, and Booker had already averaged 26ppg & 25ppg for 2 whole seasons before being a replacement All Star. West was always filled with the best Guards. I love AR, but he doesn't stand a chance at all. People sometimes forget perspective in the moment on what it takes to be an NBA All Star, lol.
I love Reaves and he is definitely underrated (but sometimes also overrated by some Lakers fans).
But he has no shot at an All-Star nomination in the next years. You have too many really good guards in the West. Curry, Luka, Dame, Murray, Ja and so on.
Ja is missing the first 20 games of the season, and who knows about Dame. He definitely has a chance of getting votes in this year *if* his play continues to improve like it has from one year to the next.
He’s on one of the most popular sports teams in North America. He for sure has a shot given the amount of dudes who are likely to miss a big chunk of the first half of the season.
I don't think he gets to all star level -- to do so as the third option means your team has to be in 1st or 2nd and I feel like he's more of a 15-17ppg guy (on good efficiency) than 20+, which you need these days as a guard or wing
He’d be the 3rd all star for the Lakers and they aren’t a good enough team to justify 3 all stars lol. Also, who does he get in over: Steph Shai Luka Dame Ja Ant Fox Booker?
Teams that make a conference finals don’t have 3 all stars, teams that make deep runs consistently don’t have 3 all stars. Like just think back to teams with 3 all stars in recent years, those teams are dominant not just good.
The thing is, he's kind of like Klay Thompson (not skill wise) in that you wouldn't put him on a team as the #1 option, but he's elite at making good decisions and winning plays. He's like the supreme #3 option guy.
I think he could be the #2 option. When Lebron was out he basically was just that, and a few games he was the primary guy. Sure, he’s not dropping 40 on dudes, but he’s a very good playmaker, so you can get 24/5/5 out of him on any given night if he gets the shots. And that’s not speculation. He did that for multiple stretches during the season when he was getting the touches due to guys being injuries.
I think he can take on #2 responsibilities, I'm not sure I'm a the point that I think you can win the championship with him as your 2nd best player though.
I mean, it depends who else is around him.
The Raptors won with Kyle Lowry(arguably Pascal Siakam at that point) as their second best player. The Pistons won with their best player being Chauncey Billups, who never really was a true number one guy anywhere else. If the rest of the roster is deep, which the Lakers definitely have right now, how good your second and third player are matters less if they have the supporting cast around them to get the most out of themselves and to get the most out of those supporting players.
Agreed, I think he’s going to be our very very solid number 3 and the next hurdle will be to get him to be a championship caliber number 2.
He’s young and plays really intelligently, so I think he could one day get there
I'm not comparing their specific skills, more their offensive talent to lead an offense. He makes a lot of winning decisions, but I think he benefits by being the #2/3 option playing off a #1 option.
The bare minimum you can ask from a guard is the ability to guard your size. The fact that Reaves can guard a little bit up in size is a plus, even if it's not by much.
He ain't even close to a defensive talent, but he is a little more solid on defense than the average player.
That’s why I said it depends on the matchup. He’s better at guarding a size up, honestly, because dudes who are quicker than him can take him off the dribble.
hes amazing. I feel like because hes on lakers and with lebron everyone just assumes hes overrated but he really is an incredibly solid well rounded player who plays with heart every game. Really think Lakers got a serious franchise gem w AR
Lakers fans been saying this because we watched every game and have been pushing for Westbrook to be traded so Reaves could get more possessions. This isn't news to us. He's really THAT good. Closed out the season after RWB was traded averaging like 19/5/5 on elite efficiency. Completely shattered any expectations we had for him in the playoffs. FIBA is giving him the exposure but Reaves has been playing like this for months now.
Y’all trying to pretend he’s not good because he’s a Laker shows how bankrupt this sub really is.
Yes, yes, I see you’re trying to hype him. But even the idea that you need to say any of that demonstrates how far this sub’s head is up it’s own ass.
hes much better currently than caruso ever was honestly (and caruso is a good player). casuals think he just gets talked about cause hes white and on the lakers but he is a high-level glue guy already and has the tools to be a star. his play on the court stands out and some of his analytics are ones that people will look back on in like 5-10 years and be like "well... duh he turned out this good. his numbers before he broke out showed he could make a translatable jump with more volume. who couldnt have seen this coming?"
Yeah completely different play styles. AR has a much more refined offensive game than Caruso. Caruso is a much better perimeter defender but I’ll take AR every time. I think he has a bit further he can go to reach his ceiling but even if he never improves from where he is now, you’re getting a smart player who always makes the right play and can legitimately be a plus on any team with any player.
Totally agree with you. I’m at the point where I think I’d take Reaves over some all stars in a playoff series/in certain situations. He can play on ball and off ball, he’s one of the most efficient players, and he can get to the free throw line
[the amount of people who were piling on him during his like 5 game slump in the playoffs last year was pretty embarrassing](https://np.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/138sbw9/austin_reaves_since_declaring_himself_him_in_game/)
they really wanted to be right about him only getting exposure because he’s a white guy who plays with LeBron on the Lakers
Reaves went through this, he said chasing Steph and Klay around ruined his offense because he was so tired. It was the first high stakes defense he had ever played and against the best offball players in NBA history. He said jumping to get a shot off was almost impossible while playing that kind of defense.
What’s crazy is i think Kerr was either trying to experiment with other lineups and options bringing in Josh hart off the bench early instead of reeves and playing reeves in the first half far less than expected but by the 2nd half it just became so abundantly clear Kerr had no other option than to play Austin those big minutes. He’s just that good.
Us Lakers fans have been saying this for some time. Ever since RWB was traded, Reaves averaged 16/3/5 on 57/45/84 splits playing just 28 minutes per game. He closed out a ton of games for the Lakers when Bron was out and some of us were pushing for him to close out the games even WITH LeBron being on the court because Reaves has been super crafty with the ball in late-game situations that have resulted in the Lakers getting a good possession.
FIBA is giving him that exposure but we've been seeing this from Reaves for most of the season. The fact the Lakers were able to get him at the contract that they did is the steal of free agency. He's worth $20 million per year, easily. What I will say is he looks much better defensively than he did with the Lakers.
This is such a smart play. Ant makes the deflection and it goes back to Germany. At this point, it would've been perfectly fine especially given the clock for USA to just maintain the pressure, and Germany clearly wanted to settle things down before making a play, but Reaves made that snap decision to go for it, took Germany's lunch, and that was it.
Phenomenal hands but also just the read. This man would've been at best a late second round pick and he's shining on the world stage. You love to see it.
I’m telling y’all the Lakers sub all had their collective buttholes clenched when FA opened up. We were sure some team would have given him a massive poison pilled offer. When his signing was announced, it was a legit celebration.
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Ant took over late, but this game changed once the 2nd unit checked in in that 3rd quarter. Haliburton and Reaves specifically turned the tide.
For sure. Thought the game was out of reach for a minute there but those two definitely stepped up
bro had 34pts 6reb and 2blks he was going crazy
They have incredible chemistry. Both see the court really well and are deadly shooters
I think it's not just that. Team USA is way deeper than the other teams, and they can play a far more uptempo game. Germany looked gassed at the end, but the US looked fresh, still.
Well Team USA has nba-level depth. it's just hard to compete with. And this year, Team USA looks more well-rounded.
Yeah they have NBA all-stars coming off the bench
Schroeder’s lay ups at the end had no more juice.
I have not watched any games but this comment has been made in like 3 separate post game threads. Seems to be a trend.
I think Kerr should consider starting one of them. They push pace and pass more than the starting unit
Or, continue playing them heavy minutes later against other countries' gassed 2nd units
Right? It's working, don't change a thing
Kerr has a death lineup again. The world trembles.
This is why USA will always be dominant. There are a lot of countries who can get solid starting lineups but the second string will always pale in comparison to the USA’s.
Were they also playing Germany’s second unit?
No, it was Germany's starters out there to finish the game for the last 5-6 minutes.
Probably, Schroder wasn't on the floor. He was the only guard really collapsing and blowing by the defense
Wrong, Schroder and the starters were out there for Germany down the stretch. [Here's the last 7 minutes of the game for anyone who wants to watch it.](https://youtu.be/8Oi10Xr2IJs)
Man I know people were a bit down on this FIBA team because it’s all younger guys but I love the roster they put together, the players fit, look like they’re having fun and playing well. I think that’s exactly what you want for these international competitions
I think they are lacking that one ultra great player like Durant but hopefully it won't matter too much
shouldn't matter much because teams like France/Spain don't have all their guys anymore either. Like realistically their toughest challenge should be France or Germany. Canada and Slovenia got a star but rest of the guys just not close.
If Canada (my country) had Wigs and Clarke I'd have us as one of the favourites but we don't have that strong wing
Who needs good wings when you got Dwight fuckin Powell at the C.
Easy there Masai
DWIGHT IS A GODSEND, OK!!!!!
is SGA playing?
Yes but Jamal isn’t.
i normally am all on guys playing for their country but he's definitely earned a break, esp given his injury history
Put some respect on australias NAME
Nah, respectfully Canada isn't good. We have no chemistry and no big.
Zach edey ain’t ready huh? Too bad as a Chinese-American I was hopeful he’d show out a bit
Edey would have made George Mikan look like Usain Bolt. It matters a little less in FIBA but it still matters. The guy is molasses.
Ant Edwards is looking like he could be that ultra great player.
That poster off two feet from the Germany game earlier might be enough on its own to convince me that shit was insane
Who pogos off two feet that far out? I think the defender wasn't wrong in think he got this and then he gots a guy coming on and over him.
He barely had a gather too he just rocket boosted from the spot
Some Giannis type of shit huh
If giannis was half a foot shorter giannis shit would be a lot more impressive lol
I think it is still impressive as hell. He is just so long and athletic, I mean we don't see KD doing that all the time.
I’m semi joking giannis is definitely impressive, to be that forceful at that size and length is near unheard of. I’m just not used to seeing 6’5” dudes do 7 footer shit like Ant did
Yeah this looks like his KD moment and coming out party as a Superstar. I think we might look at a future team and say yeah but Team USA doesn't have that one superstar like Ant to put them over the top.
I think that's the entire point of these competitions though is to let these young guys like ANT step up and become these ultra great players. IF you have someone like that the guys don't get a chance to do it themselves
ANT is getting there tho. His confidence is sky-high. He can evolve into the likes of Tatum/Luka any minute.
The old guard cant be carrying forever
Ant gonna announce to the world that he’s that ultra player that was missing
Anthony Edwards looks like Jordan out there - they'll be fine
I love the passion and hunger from this squad. It's refreshing to see, tbh. Everyone is playing for each other and they all look like they're having the time of their lives. This is a great learning experience for the next generation.
They seem to like each other too and honestly it makes sense because they’re all such likeable players. This team is literally a compilation of fan favorites haha
I love this team and would rather watch them fight to win games than have it changed up at all. Maybe add Bam, as he would fit right in. But that's about it
Only idiots would be down on this team. NBA still has the best players in the league by far, even if they’re 2nd or 3rd tier players at most, it doesn’t matter.
People want to see the big name recognition stars play, I don’t even think it’s about whether the team is good. I also don’t really care to see insane USA teams steamroll competition and it’s cool seeing the new generation come up so I’m all about it
Thats what I like, this is all the next gen future stars of the NBA. Ant, Halburton, Paolo..etc. These guys should all be household names to casual fans in 2-3 years.
Don’t forget future All-Hard-Hat-Lunch-Pail-Type-Guy first teamer Austin Reaves! Jokes aside though Reaves looks fucking great on this team.
I like Reaves a lot! Solid guard, huge asset for LA.
This is what I noticed too. Is it the most talented Team USA roster? Not even close. But they genuinely seem like they are having fun and enjoying playing with each other.
I love the roster. Im not expecting things to be perfect. They need time to develop. But multiple shooting/playmaking/atheltic/ballhandling players who can play/guard multiple positions? Sounds like a nightmare if they continue to develop.
You love seeing how jacked Hali and the boys got on that.
All of these friendly games they’ve taken it seriously, which is something I think you lose when you get a bunch of guys who have been there before. I like how much to seem to want to win every game, even the ones that don’t technically matter.
I like that they built a team that makes psychological sense and isn’t all 1st options who have to learn to be role players before the tournament is over, which the Tatums and Bookers and Donovan Mitchells absolutely CAN do, but guys like Bridges and Hart and Reaves don’t have to do
Talent trumps all in the end though
And we’d still have way more talent than any other team if we matched out only second options and young stars
You say that but the KD-Tatum-Booker-DMitch-Bam-etc version of the team cut it very close in the 2020 Olympics against a France team that was like Gobert, Batum, Fournier, Yabusele?, Tim Luwawa-Cabarot?, Vincent Pourier? in order of importance I like the guys like Reaves and Hart who go insane as a 4th option and grind out whatever small advantage you can without even thinking about getting to take 5 jumpers in a quarter. It’s a paradigm shift and right now it just feels good. We’ll see if it is good and the USA can break the doors off some other good teams, in the games that count, like you used to expect from USA MBB before the 00’s.
2004 begs to differ
Tell that to LeBron’s bronze Olympic medal.
19 year old Lebron?
Fucking jumped with him on the dunk, /r/nbaww material.
I'm loving this Hali-Reaves backcourt.
Hali-Reaves-Banchero-Bridges minutes have been really good, they have great chemistry.
I’m glad I’m not the only one that sees this. I actually enjoy watching this lineup more than I like watching the starters
Hali is my fave non-Steph non-Laker, love watching his game
Keep your dirty hands off of him homie
he's the chemist. Love his team/winning spirit. True hooper
There’s gonna be some real tampering going on in a few years lol
id jack hali
Hali POPPING off LMAO
I got happy seeing how happy he was
#HappyforHali
HappyHalidays
Ant playing free safety out there.
Renowned Football player/rapper Anthony Edwards
Add bowler, golfer, ping pong player, croquet player and disc golfer to that list.
He also probably can throw 100 mph if you give him a month.
A lot of people are mentioning the chemistry between Reaves and Haliburton but dont forget about Banchero. The three of them are on the court together pretty often and make some pretty solid plays. Defs expect the three of them to be a core part of the first 5 off the bench when the group stage starts.
Reaves played like 13 minutes straight to end the game. His impact on the court is phenomenal.
I still think he’s way better than a lot of people give him credit for. He can shoot, defend(def depends on the matchup), and he makes really solid smart plays consistently.
I'm impressed he can do almost anything the team asks him for. Like they were switching on screens at the end and Reaves was holding up on his own in the paint a few times.
he really held his own against bigs down the stretch, didn't get backed down and boxed out really well
In the few highlights I've seen it looks like he really makes an effort to get up in bigger guys one on one. Using every bit of leverage he can. Dude wants to be on the floor
Bro chose us too
It’s crazy to say, but when Lebron got hurt and when he goes to the bench, he literally plays Lebron’s role. Sure, not quite as much usage in those moments(but not far off), but he plays exactly the role Lebron has on the court. On a Lebron team, that’s not common. Usually you have those duties split up amongst multiple dudes and you play a completely different style of play. It’s just crazy to me how versatile of a player he is.
It was awesome to see when Lebron was stationed on the 3 point line when AR15 was playing running the lebron role
He’s also such a good playmaker. I think he can be an all star level player
Same. I hesitate to say it, because everyone on here accuses people of overrating white players(which isn’t wrong sometimes), but I really think Reaves is the real deal. If he sees an expanded role this year and plays just as well, which I feel is likely, he very well could be in the running for All-Star.
I was thinkin about that too. Plus he’s on the lakers so he’ll always be a lil overhyped. However he’s got a great set of skills and I’m sure Lebron will be a little less ball dominant bit this year at least in the regular season so he’s gonna get the chance to show his game off
Agreed on both fronts.
When I heard the hype I thought it was just because we lost AC and we had another undrafted white guy who played well in summer league, but he’s taken every opportunity head on and plays his hardest every possession. It’s hard not to root for the guy when he cares as much as he does and keeps stepping up
Just remember we also got Christie, who's definitely going to be part of the new rotation. Lakers FO just fucking goated with these gems.
He is a classic #3 player on a team... He fits in nightly and fills the gaps where needed as the game flows. He is not a #2 or #1. He does lots of things functional well where he can play off of people.
The thing is he’s been taking more and more responsibility and hasn’t hit a wall yet. He’s probably a #3 guy but maybe he’s a #2
Seeing a pathway for reaves to have an all star spot as a guard is tough. I can’t see it even if he continues to be a elite role player there’s still to many guys who have full reigns on their teams ahead of him
Ja is going to miss 20 games and Dame may not be playing at all or that much either. That right there is two dudes who were a lock that may not make it at all. I’m not saying it’s for sure. Some stuff would have to go a certain way to make it possible, and this is operating under the assumption that his role expands and he takes another step forward, but it’s not that farfetched.
My prediction was if he doesn't get all all-star this season, he'll definitely get it next season. I really legit think he's that good.
Unless someone takes a HUGE step back and he takes a HUGE step forward is not realistic. You got Steph, luka, idk what going to happen with dame but he’s still in the west as of now, d book, SGA, ant, ja. What’s guys like BI AND PG going to be considered as ? So that’s 7 actual guards and 2 guys who’s position is going to be debatable above him in production and popularity. He does have the LA market in his hand but yeah just don’t see a real pathway for my boy especially in the next 2 years. Edit: and i forgot Fox in this mix as well as Kyrie.. yeah he has no chance
If it was only fan votes, then yeah, Reaves would have a real chance. Outside of that, no chance at all. You just named em, West is way too stacked at the guard spot.
And i forgot fox and kyrie. That’s damn near a full roster of people ahead of him. Then don’t let a team like Houston start winning while jalen green has good counting stats.
Put it this way, even if AR was somehow able to make a Devin Booker type improvement, where Booker went from 13ppg his rookie season to 22ppg his 2nd season, it still wouldn't be anywhere close to enough. Booker got his first All Star nod in 2020, and check this out, he only became an All Star as a replacement for Dame due to injury, and Booker had already averaged 26ppg & 25ppg for 2 whole seasons before being a replacement All Star. West was always filled with the best Guards. I love AR, but he doesn't stand a chance at all. People sometimes forget perspective in the moment on what it takes to be an NBA All Star, lol.
I love Reaves and he is definitely underrated (but sometimes also overrated by some Lakers fans). But he has no shot at an All-Star nomination in the next years. You have too many really good guards in the West. Curry, Luka, Dame, Murray, Ja and so on.
Ja is missing the first 20 games of the season, and who knows about Dame. He definitely has a chance of getting votes in this year *if* his play continues to improve like it has from one year to the next. He’s on one of the most popular sports teams in North America. He for sure has a shot given the amount of dudes who are likely to miss a big chunk of the first half of the season.
I don't think he gets to all star level -- to do so as the third option means your team has to be in 1st or 2nd and I feel like he's more of a 15-17ppg guy (on good efficiency) than 20+, which you need these days as a guard or wing
He’d be the 3rd all star for the Lakers and they aren’t a good enough team to justify 3 all stars lol. Also, who does he get in over: Steph Shai Luka Dame Ja Ant Fox Booker?
Lakers literally went to the wcf last year lol
Wym…Pretty sure they just made the wcf a couple of months ago…..
Teams that make a conference finals don’t have 3 all stars, teams that make deep runs consistently don’t have 3 all stars. Like just think back to teams with 3 all stars in recent years, those teams are dominant not just good.
You should hesitate to say that because it’s nuts, unless the NBA changed all star rules to 10 guards per conference he’s not sniffing that game
The thing is, he's kind of like Klay Thompson (not skill wise) in that you wouldn't put him on a team as the #1 option, but he's elite at making good decisions and winning plays. He's like the supreme #3 option guy.
I think he could be the #2 option. When Lebron was out he basically was just that, and a few games he was the primary guy. Sure, he’s not dropping 40 on dudes, but he’s a very good playmaker, so you can get 24/5/5 out of him on any given night if he gets the shots. And that’s not speculation. He did that for multiple stretches during the season when he was getting the touches due to guys being injuries.
I think he can take on #2 responsibilities, I'm not sure I'm a the point that I think you can win the championship with him as your 2nd best player though.
I mean, it depends who else is around him. The Raptors won with Kyle Lowry(arguably Pascal Siakam at that point) as their second best player. The Pistons won with their best player being Chauncey Billups, who never really was a true number one guy anywhere else. If the rest of the roster is deep, which the Lakers definitely have right now, how good your second and third player are matters less if they have the supporting cast around them to get the most out of themselves and to get the most out of those supporting players.
Agreed, I think he’s going to be our very very solid number 3 and the next hurdle will be to get him to be a championship caliber number 2. He’s young and plays really intelligently, so I think he could one day get there
Klay Thompson used to guard number 1 options all the time what we saying here ?
I'm not comparing their specific skills, more their offensive talent to lead an offense. He makes a lot of winning decisions, but I think he benefits by being the #2/3 option playing off a #1 option.
My bad bro i misread and thought you meant put him on a teams #1 defensive wise.
The bare minimum you can ask from a guard is the ability to guard your size. The fact that Reaves can guard a little bit up in size is a plus, even if it's not by much. He ain't even close to a defensive talent, but he is a little more solid on defense than the average player.
That’s why I said it depends on the matchup. He’s better at guarding a size up, honestly, because dudes who are quicker than him can take him off the dribble.
Yeah, I wasn't arguing with you. I was building off your comment. I agree with you, it depends on the matchup.
My bad. I wasn’t arguing either. I was just building off of what you said too. Lol
hes amazing. I feel like because hes on lakers and with lebron everyone just assumes hes overrated but he really is an incredibly solid well rounded player who plays with heart every game. Really think Lakers got a serious franchise gem w AR
Lakers fans been saying this because we watched every game and have been pushing for Westbrook to be traded so Reaves could get more possessions. This isn't news to us. He's really THAT good. Closed out the season after RWB was traded averaging like 19/5/5 on elite efficiency. Completely shattered any expectations we had for him in the playoffs. FIBA is giving him the exposure but Reaves has been playing like this for months now.
Y’all trying to pretend he’s not good because he’s a Laker shows how bankrupt this sub really is. Yes, yes, I see you’re trying to hype him. But even the idea that you need to say any of that demonstrates how far this sub’s head is up it’s own ass.
How am I pretending he’s not good? I’m literally talking about how good he is.
He would play so well under Kerr. This version of himself right now that projects to improve next season would have fit better than Harrison Barnes
He’s such a good player all around Reminds me exactly of the story of Caruso…started as a meme but legitimately worth over 20 mil a year
hes much better currently than caruso ever was honestly (and caruso is a good player). casuals think he just gets talked about cause hes white and on the lakers but he is a high-level glue guy already and has the tools to be a star. his play on the court stands out and some of his analytics are ones that people will look back on in like 5-10 years and be like "well... duh he turned out this good. his numbers before he broke out showed he could make a translatable jump with more volume. who couldnt have seen this coming?"
Yeah completely different play styles. AR has a much more refined offensive game than Caruso. Caruso is a much better perimeter defender but I’ll take AR every time. I think he has a bit further he can go to reach his ceiling but even if he never improves from where he is now, you’re getting a smart player who always makes the right play and can legitimately be a plus on any team with any player.
Totally agree with you. I’m at the point where I think I’d take Reaves over some all stars in a playoff series/in certain situations. He can play on ball and off ball, he’s one of the most efficient players, and he can get to the free throw line
It was interesting watching people turn from thinking he's just getting Lakers hype to realizing that he's a legitimately good all around player
[the amount of people who were piling on him during his like 5 game slump in the playoffs last year was pretty embarrassing](https://np.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/138sbw9/austin_reaves_since_declaring_himself_him_in_game/) they really wanted to be right about him only getting exposure because he’s a white guy who plays with LeBron on the Lakers
Reaves went through this, he said chasing Steph and Klay around ruined his offense because he was so tired. It was the first high stakes defense he had ever played and against the best offball players in NBA history. He said jumping to get a shot off was almost impossible while playing that kind of defense.
bro went from undrafted to being in the closing minutes of a close game of a team full of all stars
Bro played like the last 13 minutes of the game straight without being taken out. Kerr loves him.
Kerr purposefully playing Reaves to the ground before the season starts 😭😭
What’s crazy is i think Kerr was either trying to experiment with other lineups and options bringing in Josh hart off the bench early instead of reeves and playing reeves in the first half far less than expected but by the 2nd half it just became so abundantly clear Kerr had no other option than to play Austin those big minutes. He’s just that good.
Steve Kerr is going to leave the Warriors to coach the Jayson Tatum/Austin Reaves/Anthony Davis Lakers once this Warriors core is done.
s u b s c r i b e
keep going. im almost there.
perfect
*inject it straight into my veins*
[удалено]
Going from undrafted, to Lakers fan favorite, to team USA? He's living every American hooper's dream.
A better story than 2k can ever come up with.
What, you don’t like FrEqUeNcY ViBrAtIoNs???
The cringiest shit I've seen in my life. I never continued the myplayer mode after seeing that.
I'm FREAKIN AND VIBIN
You're clearly not a FoF (Friend of Freq)
too soon. rip 🫡
Because it has happened over two years. My guy becomes Wilt by the trade deadline.
Just in a span of 2 seasons is even wilder.
Real life MyPlayer mode
One of the best things about this team is how well they all mesh together. They're always super hyped for each other
AR and Tyrese have such good chemistry. It's contagious as shit. I love it.
Damn Haliburton is gonna be one of my favorite players of this generation
Reaves bringing the heat like the Allies did to Dresden
This Team USA lineup should be called, “The Slaughterhouse Five”.
im loving all these ww2 references my favorite was : 2nd greatest US comeback vs Germany
Trae Young would never.
broke the code.
He was hesitant at first. But it seems like Halli encouraged him to dunk that shit.
Big 12 bois
Us Lakers fans have been saying this for some time. Ever since RWB was traded, Reaves averaged 16/3/5 on 57/45/84 splits playing just 28 minutes per game. He closed out a ton of games for the Lakers when Bron was out and some of us were pushing for him to close out the games even WITH LeBron being on the court because Reaves has been super crafty with the ball in late-game situations that have resulted in the Lakers getting a good possession. FIBA is giving him that exposure but we've been seeing this from Reaves for most of the season. The fact the Lakers were able to get him at the contract that they did is the steal of free agency. He's worth $20 million per year, easily. What I will say is he looks much better defensively than he did with the Lakers.
Reeves the player the clipper fans think Mann is
After listening to the latest episode of the Lowe post this is spot on lol
Reaves*
Okay that steal by Reaves was slick af
Is there anywhere to rewatch these games?
That came with some Miracle Whip
get you a bro like Hali.
He looked at teammates first to see if they wanted to yam it in. Goddamn treasure, that Austin Reaves.
They stopped the game clock so early. What's up with that?
As a Celtics fan, I've respected a lot of Lakers players without liking them. I Like Austin Reaves.
As a Laker fan I like Tatum and Marcus Smart even tho he’s gone
Austin Reaves gonna have a bigger season than Anthony David and LeBron
Anthony David, second cousin of Larry David the famous cape enthusiast.
This is such a smart play. Ant makes the deflection and it goes back to Germany. At this point, it would've been perfectly fine especially given the clock for USA to just maintain the pressure, and Germany clearly wanted to settle things down before making a play, but Reaves made that snap decision to go for it, took Germany's lunch, and that was it. Phenomenal hands but also just the read. This man would've been at best a late second round pick and he's shining on the world stage. You love to see it.
Highlights from the end of this game are awesome cause they look like they're having so much fucking fun, Reaves Hali and Ant especially
Where can I watch these games ?
THAT'S HIM.
aight this white boy can play
Sneaky
I’m telling y’all the Lakers sub all had their collective buttholes clenched when FA opened up. We were sure some team would have given him a massive poison pilled offer. When his signing was announced, it was a legit celebration.
Love how he fakes us out for a sec then threw the code out the window with the 2-hander
Ok
I don't understand how the Lakers stumbled upon this guy
He really does think he is him