Lakers News: Why Expert Believes Austin Reaves Is Better FIBA Fit Than Jalen Brunson
Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves is quickly emerging as an essential rotation piece for Team USA's FIBA World Cup bid this month -- so much so that he's supplanting the team's starting point guard in closing lineups, as he did for Sunday's 99-91 comeback win over Team Germany in an exhibition game.
During a conversation with David Jacoby and Kevin Wildes, Bill Simmons of The Ringer has opted to unpack why Austin Reaves could be a better fit on Team USA as the FIBA World Cup nears than the best player on the 45-37 New York Knicks last year, point guard Jalen Brunson.
Yes, I know ex-Laker Julius Randle got the majority of critical plaudits in being voted onto both his second All-Star and All-NBA teams last season, but he was putting up very similar numbers during New York's lottery-bound 2021-22 season, also, while ostracizing his entire fanbase. Brunson, as he proved unequivocally in the playoffs, is handily the most valuable Knick, not Randle. Sometimes pundits can be a little behind with this stuff. They'll adjust this year, assuming Brunson stays healthy.
"What's our best five?" Simmons asked. "I know they're trying to establish Jalen Brunson, but what's our best five? And I have the receipts. Haliburton has to be out there. Edwards, Bridges, Austin Reaves has to be out there, and Triple J. And at some point, they're going to realize this is our best five, and it's like at some point they're going to realize that's the five. Then in this German game that was the five."
"Now what's weird is they built a lot of these team around Brunson, he's the captain," Simmons continued.
"They were down [16 against Germany late in the third quarter], and Reaves and Haliburton shot them back into the game in three possessions, so I think it was this particular game they ended with that finishing five," Jacoby said. "But I think Steve wants Brunson in for Reaves in that finishing five."
"Yeah but here's the problem, Wildes: NBA basketball [is] a little different than international basketball. That point spot, you can't be a defensive liability, you saw Schröder kind of working Brunson a little bit, first half of that game," Simmons continued. "Reaves is like perfect for international basketball, 'cause he can barrel in, he has that little some stop-and-pop at the top of the key. He's trying to get contact, he can hit open threes... [Brunson is] a veteran backup point guard on this team."
Reaves scored 16 points in the effort while playing big minutes late. With every passing day, the Lakers' four-year, $53.8 million investment in the 6'5" swingman out of Oklahoma is looking increasingly more valuable.
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