Austin Reaves signed a massive contract this offseason, moving him from one of the great bargains in the NBA to ... something else. And based on the results of our listener survey, no Laker has more pressure on him going into the year than Reaves. People are worried about whether or not he'll live up to the contract, and whether that contract will age well. They're worried about the defense (which he doesn't help). They're worried, basically, about everything associated with Reaves as a true number two, expected to step in behind Luka Doncic and lead the team.
ESPN, for its part, has Reaves ranked at 37 in its NBA Rank project this year, a massive bump from last season (60). Is that a fair placement?
And more importantly, what does the slotting say about where Reaves fits into the league's upper crust, now that he's paid like one of those guys? It's a strange space, where folks in that range can elevate to raise the ceiling of a team, or hurt it by underperforming or getting hurt. The Lakers no longer have the financial flexibility afforded by Reaves making well under market money. Now, the pressure will be on to earn it.
Meanwhile, the Lakers will sound different this year. First, longtime public address announcer Lawrence Tanter announced his retirement earlier this summer. Now, we're learning that Stu Lantz, who has been part of the broadcasts on TV since the 80s, will only be calling home games after enduring some health issues that kept him out of the booth last year.
Great that he's well enough to work, even in a reduced capacity. For a legend like Stu, we'll take what we can get.
HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky
SEGMENT 1: Austin Reaves under pressure.
SEGMENT 2: Where does Reaves stack up?
SEGMENT 3: What the Lakers need from each tier of player.
PHOTO CREDIT: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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