The devastating 121-92 loss that the Los Angeles Lakers suffered against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder will be a point of reflection for Los Angeles. 

Barring one game, the Thunder have been unstoppable, with seemingly no way to contain. That was the case even for the surging Lakers, who have played some outstanding basketball early in the season. 

The Lakers may have lost two of their last three and are in the middle of a road trip that features back-to-back games, but Austin Reaves doesn't feel like it's time to hit the panic button yet. Even with the loss still fresh in his mind, Reaves has chosen to focus on what is yet to come and use the example of the Thunder's play as a learning moment.

Creating a Learning Moment

"I don't think you want to be playing your best basketball at game 12. If you could sustain that forever that would be nice, but I think you you want to be peaking towards the end of the year. We're still a fairly new team to one another and obviously you can watch what they [Thunder] do... it's a good example of how to be successful," Reaves said (via Spectrum Sports Net).

Even without LeBron James, who has yet to play in a game this season due to sciatica, the Lakers have put together some impressive wins with Reaves and Luka Dončić leading the way offensively and Ruia Hachimura and Deandre Ayton stepping up as well. 

Los Angeles has already shown glimpses of their potential this season, and Reaves feels that the best is yet to come. 

The Future is Bright

"I feel like we've taken really good steps this year, but like JJ said after the game, it's game 12, a lot of basketball to play. And there's a lot of room for growth. So, we're going to continue [to] plug at it every single day and try to get better."

Like the rest of the NBA, the Lakers still have a long way to go and a lot of season left. It seems that the entire league will be playing catch-up to the Thunder at this point, so the Lakers aren't alone in the feeling they had to sit with on Wednesday night. 

The Lakers can be one of the top teams in the league if they make adjustments like getting better starts and bringing a higher level of energy. Those adjustments, plus the return of James, could make a contender yet.