The Lakers won the mid-season championship this season, but what about the mid-season championship? The regular season is coming to an end, and the Lakers are only ranked ninth in the Western Conference. Last season, the Lakers overcame all obstacles and reached the Western Conference Finals. This was the result of the efforts of all members, but what surprised me the most was Reeves’ performance. He averaged 16.9 points per game in his first playoff game. Points + 4.4 rebounds + 4.6 assists + 0.6 steals, averaging 2.4 three-pointers per game, with a three-point shooting rate of 44.3%. Not only that, he was also selected for the US men's basketball team during the offseason, playing the role of the main scorer, which is admirable.
However, Reeves this season is not as good as last season. He averaged 15.9 points + 4.2 rebounds + 5.5 assists + 0.8 steals per game, and averaged 1.9 three-pointers per game. The data seems to be good, but his effect in the starting lineup is not that good. Partnered with Russell, the Lakers' backcourt defense is like paper, which can be broken with a poke. Take the games against the Kings and Nuggets as examples. Reeves' defense against Fox was completely overtaken by one step, and his defense against Murray was beaten by others with his body. If the offensive end cannot be opened, the effect will be very small.
I have to say that the starting combination of Russell + Reeves arranged by Coach Ham did not work well, especially on defense. Let me list below how the Lakers can match their backcourt to be more efficient.
Trevor Lane, a well-known Lakers blogger, calculated the efficiency of different combinations of Lakers defenders this season. The details are as follows: Russell & Reeves (without Dinwiddie): efficiency value -1.7; Reeves & Dinwiddie (without Dinwiddie) Russell): efficiency value +7.9; Russell & Dinwiddie (without Reeves): efficiency value +20.3. The blogger
said: "This may also be because dlo and ar always play together in the opposite starting lineup, resulting in lower efficiency values. However, I think it makes more sense to pair them with a defender who can actively defend, rather than letting them work together. Come out." It can be seen from this that Hamm might as well go with a starting backcourt combination of one offense and one defense, and put Reeves on the bench to play as the sixth man. Facts have proved that Reeves' playing as the sixth man is relatively effective. It's better to say that it will even improve the Lakers' overall strength to a higher level.
There are three reasons why Reeves’ initial performance was not good. First, Reeves is not stable with the ball and is prone to mistakes. He is not an excellent ball handler, and his ability to combine man and ball is average. Second, Reeves suffers from playing against teams with top defenders, such as The Nuggets, Kings, etc., are not star-level enough, but having him match up with some backup guards will be very effective; thirdly, Reeves and Russell are not as compatible as imagined. Both need to hold the ball, plus James, one ball for three people is definitely not enough, and Dinwiddie's off-ball ability is very outstanding and can solve this problem. In fact, playing as a substitute is not a denial of a player's ability, it may even be an affirmation. Isn't that the case with Ginobili? Being able to win the Best Sixth Man honor on the bench is also the best proof of his ability.
This season, Reeves is not as "magical" as last season. I think the opponent has thoroughly studied his offensive method. After all, he just appeared in the field of vision of various teams last season and has not yet thoroughly studied it. After thorough research, it is different now. Reeves is the Lakers' main scoring point and a member of the US team. He will definitely be targeted. Therefore, his efficiency has declined, which is expected. Fortunately, they resisted and maintained the data. The drop in efficiency was not too much, and it was enough for the playoffs. All in all, this little Reeves is becoming more and more "magical" and increasingly incomprehensible!
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