JUST IN – Lakers’ Austin Reaves reveals how Anthony Davis is affecting games in a way that people don’t realize.
In addition to Anthony Davis’ dominant performance in the Los Angeles Lakers’ victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team also got a huge boost from their bench. Chief among them was Austin Reaves, who recorded a double-double of 15 points and 10 assists, many of which went to Davis for easy buckets.
Reaves, like Davis, has come under a bit of scrutiny for his start to the season, but nowhere near the level that the big man has seen. Any time Davis has an underwhelming offensive performance, he is put under the microscope with some even calling for him to get traded. But Reaves feels most people just don’t realize the impact Davis has.
Following the victory over the Cavaliers, Reaves called out those regularly criticizing Davis, saying that the average person can’t recognize how much he impacts the game for the Lakers on a nightly basis, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin:
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There are undoubtedly times where the criticism Davis faces is valid and warranted such as in the team’s last two losses in which he scored 10 and nine points, respectively. However, as Reaves noted, there are other times where even if he doesn’t have a great scoring night, his work on the glass and defensively make a massive difference and help the Lakers to victory.
At this point, it is safe to say that Davis likely won’t be a 30-point per game scorer throughout an entire season, but the focus too often goes towards what he isn’t doing as opposed to the great things he is and that is what Reaves wants to be recognized.
The Lakers are reliant on Davis being one of, if not the best player on the court, but scoring alone is not always a reflection of that. He positively affects the game in so many ways and Reaves wants his teammate to get his deserved credit for that.