Reaves discussed what it's been like running pick-and-roll with Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes this season.
The Los Angeles Lakers have won 11 of their last 12 games and sit at 48-26 on the season, good for the third seed in the Western Conference.
A big part of that recent surge has been the way the offense has clicked between Austin Reaves and the team's two bigs, and at Sunday's practice ahead of Monday's home game against the Washington Wizards, Reaves talked about the dynamic he's built with both Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes in the pick-and-roll game.
"Yeah, a lot. I mean, you know, very effective in what they do," Reaves said of his two roll partners. "So just try to put them in the best position to be successful... anytime you run it the right way, you're going to have some sort of an advantage. Just trying to make the right play."
Two Different Bigs, Same Result
What makes the pairing work is that both Ayton and Hayes bring something different when they screen and roll, and Reaves has shown he knows how to use each of them.
Ayton is the steadier, more physical presence who finishes through contact and creates space on the block, while Hayes is the explosive lob threat who turns even simple pick-and-roll sets into highlight dunks with his athleticism and vertical spacing.
The combination of the two gives the Lakers' offense a different feel depending on who is on the floor, and it keeps opposing defenses guessing.
Ayton is shooting 67.4 percent from the field this season with averages of 12.3 points and 8.3 rebounds, and when he is locked in and playing with energy, the Lakers are a completely different team.
Hayes, meanwhile, is shooting an absurd 74.7 percent from the field while chipping in 7.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.
Over his last five games, Hayes has averaged 11.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks while shooting 75 percent from the floor, which is why the conversation around his role keeps growing louder as the playoffs get closer.
Reaves Finding His Rhythm at the Right Time
The reason Reaves is able to get so much out of both bigs is because his own game has been rolling lately too.
He has scored at least 24 points in four straight games and over his last 11, he is averaging 24.2 points, 6.0 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.5 threes per game.
On the season, he is putting up 23.6 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds in what has been a career year despite missing 19 games with a calf injury earlier in the season.
When Reaves is aggressive and attacking downhill, that is when the pick-and-roll game opens up for both Ayton and Hayes.
Defenses have to commit to him, and when they do, the bigs eat.
Ayton himself described it earlier this season, saying his connection with Reaves in the pick-and-roll feels like the "fire tends to go from orange to blue."
And JJ Redick has consistently pushed Reaves to touch the paint and be physical, which naturally creates opportunities for whoever is setting the screen.
The Lakers are playing their best basketball of the season right now, and a lot of it traces back to the simple stuff Reaves was talking about at Sunday's practice.
Running it the right way, making the right play, putting guys in position. Nothing fancy, just basketball that works.