His team went on to defeat the Utah Jazz for their fourth consecutive win, and went 12–4 on the season – tied for the third-best record in the NBA. He had another 20-plus-point game, which he has done in all of his games this season.
And, while it may not be front of mind, a big payday awaits Reeves this summer when he can become an unrestricted free agent and make more than $40 million per season.
Almost everything is going right – until Reeves was asked about the most obvious thing that wasn’t.
At the mention of his and the Lakers’ 3-point shooting, Reeves leaned back in his chair and gave another clank – this time the back of his head bounced off the frame of his locker.
“F—,” he said before apologizing to the team’s communications staff.
Maybe a quick blow to the back of the head will help get Reeves and the Lakers’ shooters back on track.
“I’ll do anything to make a 3,” he joked after going 1 of 8 against the Jazz.
He is not alone. Despite the Lakers’ best 16-game start to a year since 2021, their shooters have been almost universally icy. L.A.’s three leaders in three-point attempts, Luka Doncic, Reeves and Marcus Smart, are making just 29.6 percent combined. Dončić and Reaves are both shooting 31.1 percent from 3, both well below their career averages.
“I think me and AR haven’t made any shots this season,” Doncic said.
Only the Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies are making less than 3 percent. Those teams have started the year a combined 20-48.
The Lakers still haven’t shot better than 33 percent from three straight games this season, with the slump now extending through the first month of their schedule. On Sunday he went 10 of 38 (26.3 percent).
“We’re literally one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA right now,” coach JJ Redick told his team after the game. “I don’t think that’s who we are. We’ve got to make shots. We’ve got to shoot them with confidence.”
Asked if his team is shooting with confidence right now, Redick quickly said, “We’re shooting.”
So how did the Lakers manage to win games like Sunday with their 15th-ranked offense and 14th-ranked defense?
“I think it’s just chemistry. The care factor is high,” Reeves said. “You want to go out there and do whatever you can to help each other succeed. And I think that goes a long way. There’s no selfishness in it; everybody wants to see everybody else succeed.”
The Lakers have continued to try to build team chemistry both on and off the court throughout the season. On Friday, instead of practice, they held a pickleball tournament. LeBron James’s sciatica irritation forced him to learn how to win short-handed from the jump, an ability that was sharpened when he had to play — and win — without Doncic and Reeves earlier this year.
“Just our resiliency,” Smart said. “It’s something new for us every game.”
The latest is the knee injury that kept Deandre Ayton out of the second half on Sunday. The team did not receive any updates on his condition after the game.
In addition to toughness and vibes, James’ return has helped raise the Lakers’ ceiling. He had 17 points, six rebounds and eight assists against the Jazz – although he went 0 of 4 on 3s.
“I’m in great shape physically,” James said. “But as far as my air goes, I’ve got to (keep working). And it doesn’t help that this is my second game playing at Utah altitude. It doesn’t help, that’s for sure. So every game I’ll get better and better. My air will get better and better. But, honestly, this week was like my training camp for me. I didn’t get a chance to practice with guys all camp, all preseason.
“So I’m still working my way back.”
James should help with the shooting. Doncic and Reeves should similarly improve. Despite the bad numbers, no one is too worried, as the Lakers are happy with the offense they are running, even if the results aren’t perfect.
“We’re not worried about it,” James said. “We got a lot of good shooters. It won’t last.”
Ultimately, Redick acknowledged, the Lakers have to shoot the ball better. But for now, the foundation they’ve been building since they survived all those missed 3s gives them confidence that the rims will eventually come loose.
“Our togetherness is important, playing for each other, the bench spirit was great tonight,” Redick said. “I think there’s something with this group where whatever we need for the game that night, we’re just going to do it to put ourselves in a position to win. We have to, tactically, mix a bunch of different things, and guys are just bought into, ‘Hey, this is what we need tonight.’
“Let’s go out there and try to execute that.”
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