“Tired” of Lakers’ Struggles, Ex-Champ Challenges Austin Reaves to Live Up to Bold Playoff Claim

The Los Angeles Lakers are struggling to stay afloat this season. They are off to an abysmal start, having lost five of their first eight games. LeBron James and Co. have dropped to the 11th spot in the Western Conference standings. They got blown out by the Houston Rockets 128-94 last night, and their disappointing performance raised some concerns.

The Lakers are in desperate need of a third superstar, and Austin Reaves has not shown till now that he can take up that responsibility. A former NBA Champion challenged Austin Reaves to live up to his bold playoff claim from last season.

Can Austin Reaves be “HIM”?

Retired NBA player and former Champion Kendrick Perkins is “tired” of the Lakers’ early season struggles. “To be honest with you, I am tired of the complaining from the Lakers, and I am also tired of the excuses.” Big Perk said. He was expecting the Lakers to be one of the top teams in the league before the season started, but LeBron James and Co. have not lived up to the expectations. The Lakers had high hopes for 25-year-old guard Austin Reaves after his breakout performance last season. But Reaves has struggled to take his game to the next level this season. After the Lakers’ slow start, Perkins challenged Austin Reaves to step up his game, “We didn’t say he was HIM. He said he’s HIM, so he has to show that he’s HIM.”

Austin Reaves made the bold claim during the playoffs last season after he took over Game 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies in Round 1. Reaves yelled, “I’m HIM!” while scoring 14 points in the 4th quarter of Game 1. Reaves needs to live up to that claim and become the third star for the Lakers.

Was Austin Reaves a One Hit Wonder?

Austin Reaves is not having the season fans expected. He has struggled to stay consistent and is averaging just 13.1 points this season. Reaves scored only 7 points in last night’s loss against the Houston Rockets. That has left the NBA world wondering if Austin Reaves was just a one-hit wonder. The 25-year-old guard helped the Lakers make a run to the Western Conference Finals last season, averaging 16.9 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.4 rebounds throughout the playoffs. His performance bagged him a massive contract extension of 4 years $56 million.

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Reaves is a talented young player, and he showed his worth during this year’s FIBA World Cup while representing Team USA. His struggles may be due to his current role in the team. Reaves loves to handle the ball and run the show for the Lakers. But Darvin Ham has given that responsibility to LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell this season. Ham might need to shuffle the line-up to fully unlock Austin Reaves this season.

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Do you think Reaves’ struggles are because of lineup issues? Or is he actually a one season wonder?