Austin Reaves gives his thoughts on why the Los Angeles Lakers draw so many fouls.
The Los Angeles Lakers often come under criticism from fans and opposing teams for the number of fouls they draw and the amount of free throws they take.
The Lakers are second in the league in free throws taken at 26.7 per game. Luka Doncic leads the league in free throw attempts at 10.8 per game while Austin Reaves is at the line 8.2 times per game.
Against the Boston Celtics on Sunday, the Lakers shot only 18 free throws compared to 21 for the Celtics. The differential of three came via technical foul shots as JJ Redick and Austin Reaves were upset with the officiating throughout the game.
Austin Reaves Speaks
Speaking to reporters after the game, Reaves was asked about keeping his composure and not spending so much time arguing with the refs after perceived missed calls.
"I think we can get that way sometimes. We play downhill and we do shoot a lot of free throws, but that's kind of a playstyle thing. We don't get up a lot of threes. We attack downhill and seek contact, and I think that's the reason we do shoot a lot of free throws. When you don't get those calls, you can't stay frustrated. You have to move on to the next play. I'm a culprit of that. I have to do better in that situation, and our whole team does as well," he said.
Luka Doncic is often criticized for spending too much time arguing with referees after what he feels is a missed call instead of getting back on defense.
The Lakers Driving
The Lakers are 29th in the league in drives per game at 37.9. Only the Denver Nuggets are behind them at 34.2 per game.
The Miami Heat are first in drives per game at 61.2%. They are 13th in the league in free throw attempts.
Doncic is 16th in the league in drives per game at 14.1, while Reaves is 26th at 12.3.
Since 2022-23, the Lakers have been in the top three in free throw attempts per game among all teams.
The Lakers don't take as many threes as most teams, ranking 25th in three-point attempts with 33.3 per game. 60% of their shots come from inside the arc, and while their drive numbers aren't high, they do run the fifth most post-ups, largely on the backs of LeBron James and Luka, which leads to contact.