Lakers: Austin Reaves Reflects on Rookie Season with the Lakers

Despite being a starter and key contributor to the Lakers this past season, Austin Reaves was unhappy with the end result.

Austin Reaves, a standout since his days at the University of Oklahoma and Wichita St., quickly earned regular playing time for the Lakers last season in his rookie year however, he was still unsatisfied with how the season turned out.

In a recent interview with The Athletic's Jovan Buha, Reaves discussed his first year in purple and gold.

“Individually, I think it went about as good as it could have gone for me...doing all those things was special. And as a team, I mean, to say the least, it sucked, to be honest. We had high expectations for ourselves and felt like we just couldn’t piece it together throughout the year."

What Reaves is referring to is the Lakers' 33-49 record after finishing in 11th in the Eastern Conference and not earning a spot in the Play-In tournament to keep their championship hopes alive. 

Reaves on the other hand had a decent first season in the NBA scoring 444 points with a 7.3 points per game average, .839 FT %, .459 FG %, 193 total rebounds, and 110 assists according to BasketballReference.com. 

The 24 year old, also started in 19 of 61 games which isn't bad for a rookie. 

As he has began to prep for the upcoming 2022-2023 season, he has been focusing on strengthening his frame and his shooting stroke in three-a-day sessions in Los Angeles with teammates and coaches. 

His hope is first to improve his three-point shooting percentage from 30% last season and also work to become an even greater force on the court after impressing the Lakers management with his stellar defensive performances last year.