The biggest suspense of the Lakers during the offseason! Where does the 26-year-old Reeves go: staying at the team to train or trade strengthening?

In this year's playoffs, what makes the Lakers most worry is not the decline in James' physical strength or Luca's defensive loophole, but the sudden "power outage" of Reeves.

He is a "quasi-All-star" who averages 20+5+5 per game in the regular season, and is the most stable "third giant" around James Luca; facing the Timberwolves in the playoffs, he averaged 16.2 points per game (two-point shooting percentage 42.% and three-point shooting percentage 31.9%), and G5 even made 5 of 14 shots and only 12 points - from "Firefighter Captain" to "offensive and defensive loopholes", Reeves' performance in this round made all Lakers fans sweat.

"Super God" in the regular season, "Small" in the playoffs: What's wrong with Reeves?

Reeves' rise is one of the most inspiring stories in the NBA - undraft, 21+5 in the Western Conference Finals in 22-23, a 4-year contract renewal of 54 million yuan, averaging 20.2 points and 5.8 assists per game this season... He used his hard work and football dealers to gradually become the "water dispenser administrator" and the Lakers' "three leaders".

But the intensity of the playoffs is like a "demon-looking mirror", reflecting his limitations:

1. The Timberwolves' "targeted defense": locking him with athletic ability

Coach Finch studied Reeves' weaknesses - insufficient athletic ability, lack of absolute speed and explosive power. So he sent "long-arm monsters" like McDaniels and Edwards to defend Reeves. Data shows that when the two men were defending, Reeves' shooting percentage plummeted to 28.6% (46% in the regular season).

This round is a microcosm: Reeves is called Goodwin and wants to replace the old Conley, but Walker is dead and pushes him to the bottom line; when he reaches the basket, McDaniels makes up for the interference - throughout the round, Reeves is "closed and beats the dog", but he barely takes action but hits the iron. The Timberwolves used this "name + repair defense" tactic in 5 games, but Reeves couldn't break it.

2. Single offensive means: overly relying on three-pointers, dare not hard to break through, and Reeves can break through and shoot (37.7%) in the regular season, but 90% of his scores in the playoffs came from three-pointers, and the number of breakthroughs plummeted. G5 He only made two two-pointers (or converted offense), facing the defense, he either made a hard three-pointer or hesitated to pass the ball.

For example, in this round: Reeves called the pick-and-roll point to Conley, which was a good opportunity to accelerate the breakthrough, but he chose to "reverse the crotch and pull down" to bet on the feel, but he ended up making iron; in the other round, he faced Edwards with defense, neither breaking through to cause damage, nor passing the ball, and directly made three-pointers - This "gambling-style" offense would not work in the playoffs at all.

3. The defensive end becomes a "loophole": poor confrontation and slow horizontal movement, and is infinitely targeted at Reeves' defense. The regular season is "passed away" by attitude and consciousness, and the playoffs are directly beaten back to their original form. Facing the Timberwolves' forward group (McDaniels, Edwards), he lacks ability to fight (being pushed out of the baseline to grab rebounds), slow horizontal movement (the pick-and-roll switch cannot keep up), and becomes his opponent's "cash machine".

The data is the most heartbreaking: McDaniels hit a 72.2% shooting percentage (crush); the Timberwolves used a lot of "pick-roll + switch defense" to target him. After defending McDaniels, he had to defend Edwards again, and was exhausted and averaged 3.5 fouls per game (1.6 times in the playoffs last year).

Reeves' future: Should the Lakers stay or replace?

Reeves's performance in this round has made his future a "must-answer question" for the Lakers' management. Judging from the data, is he a "regular season dragon, playoff bug"?

It is undeniable that Reeves' regular season data (20.2 points, 5.8 assists, 37.7% of three-pointers) meets the "three leaders" standards, but the playoff efficiency plummeted (16.2 points, 42% shooting percentage), assists declined (5.8→3.6), and defensive loopholes - this "strong regular season, weak playoffs" model is very similar to DeRozan and Joe Johnson back then.

From the perspective of adaptability, is he suitable to be the "big three"?

Reeves' most comfortable role is actually "the second team ball holding point" - when James Luca was resting, he brought the substitute to maintain the offense. However, the Lakers currently lack a third scoring point in the backcourt configuration, forcing him to shoulder the heavy responsibility of "Three Heads", resulting in unlimited targeting in the playoffs.

From an emotional perspective, is his loyalty worth keeping?

Reeves once rejected the Spurs' 4-year, 100 million contract and chose to stay with the Lakers - this kind of loyalty is rare in the NBA. But loyalty cannot be used as a food. If the Lakers want to compete for the championship, they must consider his "practical value".

Give Reeves a year, and the Lakers bet again?

Reeves' problem is not "not capable", but "wrong positioning". He is an excellent role player, but if he pushes to the position of "Big Three", he becomes a "loop".

The Lakers have two choices during the offseason: the first is to upgrade the third point: find a forward line that can break through and defend, and let Reeves return to the "core of the second lineup"; observe another year: give Reeves time to adjust (build muscle and improve confrontation, practice breakthroughs and create kills), and see if he can evolve into a "playoff hard character".

26-year-old Reeves, still has time to prove himself. The Lakers might as well bet again - After all, who doesn't want him to make a comeback after working hard to lose the draft? But one thing must be clear: Reeves can be the "pride of the Lakers", but on the way to the championship, he needs a clearer positioning.