Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers · Locked On Podcast Network, Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

Is Austin Reaves Sacrificing Stats Alongside Luka, LeBron? Plus, are the Pelicans a Trap Game?

March 3, 2026·35 min·3 clips

Austin Reaves' scoring plummets from 24 to 18 points per game when sharing the floor with Luka and LeBron.

This episode analyzes Austin Reaves' changing role alongside Luka Dončić and LeBron James and previews the Lakers' upcoming game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Hosts Brian Kamenetzky and Andy Kamenetzky, veteran Lakers reporters with ESPN and The Athletic, examine recent performance trends. They focus on a six-game sample where Dončić, James, and Reaves have shared the floor without restrictions. In those six games, Reaves is averaging just under 18 points on under 47% from the field, a drop from his season averages of roughly 24 points on 50% shooting. His usage rate has fallen from 27% to just under 22%, and his assist percentage has dropped from 25% to about 13%. The hosts note Reaves' three-point shooting in this stretch has improved to nearly 45%, a team-wide trend where Dončić is at 47.5% and LeBron is near 41%. They credit better ball movement, Luke Kennard's spacing, and reduced turnovers for the offensive improvements. The conversation shifts to offseason priorities, identifying finality on LeBron James' future and Reaves' contract as the two primary pieces of business. A key insight is that Reaves is seen as the player most willingly sacrificing direct offensive control to make the three-star dynamic function. The hosts believe the front office is already sold on Reaves and views him and Dončić as the foundational duo for next season, regardless of LeBron's status. They argue the bigger challenge is determining the specific support pieces—like defensive-minded forwards and a pick-and-roll center—needed around Dončić and Reaves due to their overlapping skill sets. The episode questions if the current win-now focus sacrifices valuable reps for evaluating that future roster construction. For the Pelicans preview, they note Zion Williamson is expected to play and Dejounte Murray is back, averaging 16 points and 6 assists in a small sample. They warn the Pelicans are a "talented bad team" that ranks top-ten in offensive rebounds, second-chance points, and points in the paint. The hosts emphasize this as a "trap game" where the Lakers' inconsistent floor could be exposed, referencing Rui Hachimura's recent comments about the team's drastic gap between its contender-level ceiling and its awful floor. The tone is analytical and conversational, blending statistical breakdowns with forward-looking roster speculation. Lakers fans seeking deep analysis of player roles and team construction will appreciate this episode. Listeners looking for pure game recap or entertainment-focused commentary might find it too granular.

As heard by us

A clear-eyed Lakers roster debate centered on Reaves, Luka, and LeBron.

Brian and Andy keep this centered on Austin Reaves, the player who ends up making the sacrifice so Luka Doncic and LeBron James can share the floor. That shifts the talk away from simple star chatter and into the harder roster question, which is where it gets useful.

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Why you'd press play

You want the Lakers' big-three sacrifice question without the usual hot-take noise.

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