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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

The Los Angeles Lakers began their NBA regular season with a defeat to the Denver Nuggets. Following last season’s heartbreak in the Western Conference Finals, the team succumbed to yet another loss in the season opener. After the game, Austin Reaves talked about the team’s weakness in failing to contain Nikola Jokic‘s side.

Despite a lengthy preparation period, the Lakers could not achieve their desired outcome. Reaves, thus, candidly shared his thoughts after their failure to stop the Nuggets.

What did Austin Reaves say after the loss?

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The visiting Lakers team started their campaign with an agonizing defeat to the Denver side. They failed to hold their fort in a 119-107 loss to the defending champions of the league at the Ball Arena. So, in a post-match interview, the shooting guard first gave his flowers to the opposition, saying, “They put a good game”.?

He then reflected on his squad’s performance, mentioning,?“A lot of things that we need to work on”.?The 25-year-old showcased ambition for improvement on both ends of the basketball court. While describing the process of development, he highlighted, “Go back and, you know, watch film and get better from it”.?

Acknowledging Jokic and Jamal Murray as “versatile” and “unselfish,” the Hillbilly Kobe demanded a change. He emphasized how the roster must “clean up a couple of things on the weak side”. “Be able to scramble a little bit better” and “Get the shooters run them off the line”?were two such areas he pointed out.

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Thus, the overall improvement of the gameplay serves as a priority according to the 6’5 guard. With the Phoenix Suns paying a visit to the Crypto.com Arena, the challenges are set to get harder for the Lakers.

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Can they recover quickly?

The organization had a mixed pre-season preparation ahead of the season. With a 2-4 result against them in six matches, the concerns were over the capability of the squad. The first match showcased that yet again as the Nuggets exploited their weaknesses.

So, it now becomes crucial for them to recover as soon as possible to face their next opposition within two days. Apart from the areas Austin mentioned, the head coach?Darvin Ham must also put thoughts into using the backups well. All in all, they need to get a lot done within a short time frame.

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The squad has the potential to make it happen for their supporters. But the doubts still remain over their consistency. Can the Lakers it around? Let us know in the comments below.