Despite injuries sabotaging training camp and the start to this season, Lakers fans have to be giddy right now as the superstar play of both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves has transformed the Lakers’ ceiling as a team.
In a wild roller coaster week of crazy ups and downs, the Lakers lost James for a month and suffered a lackluster opening night loss to the Warriors but rebounded behind statement games by Luka and Austin vs. Timberwolves. Lakers hopes then dove when they lost Luka for a week but bounced back when Austin went off for 51 and Lakers w/o Luka and LeBron beat Kings, only to dive again when Austin’s 41 was not enough to defeat the Blazers.
Despite the frustration and disruption of the injuries, it’s only taken four games for Doncic’s and Reaves MVP and All-Star level play to transform the Lakers’ ceiling from play-in team to legitimate championship contender.
Suddenly, concern whether Doncic and Reaves could be a championship backcourt has been replaced by visions of a juggernaut Lakers’ offense that staggers two 50-ball shooters so one or both are on court for all 48 minutes.
Austin Reaves has rightly played himself into being untouchable, which is the best possible answer for both him and the Lakers. There is now no question that Doncic and Reaves are the Lakers’ backcourt of the future.
The Lakers also received good early play from Ayton, Hachimura, Smart, and Vanderbilt but nothing that changed their need for an elite 3&D starting small forward and defense-first backup center to protect rim.
The version of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves we’ve glimpsed in these first four games has a chance to be the best offensive backcourt in the league and they’re only 26 and 27 years old. Just surround them with 3&D guys.
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