[Highlight] Reaves plays perfect defense to avoid Embiid’s rip-through attempts and forces a turnover
He just actually morphed into an All NBA player over the summer lmao.
Everyone who watched the FIBA cup knew it was happening. Him and Ant were the only consistent players.
The future of mens Olympic and FIBA USA basketball, Anthony Edward’s and Austin Reaves, just like everyone expected.
Don’t you mean Austin Reave’s?
Reaves’s? Reave’s?
Au’stin Reave’s
Aust’him Reaves
I sorta knew he had this since the mid 22-23 season where he started to break out, the only real question was conditioning and stamina. Like if you remember his game against the Pacers where he had 45, he was GASSED at the end, but in his 51 piece this year he still had the energy even at the end.
Him developing that endurance I think was the difference
He did it last year vs Bucks too. Went crazy and endurance caught up to him. This year, he’s All Star All NBA Level
I remember how JJ said there was homework over the off season to have players come back with elite conditioning.
I’d put Lauri in there too
I believe Lauri plays for Finland?
His third year and fiba were his worst defensively and teams gameplanned for his hard. But he solved it last year in his 4th, this year he got stronger and better at all his skillset mostly his shooting. Playmaking .
He’s so fun to watch too, closest to kyrie in the league imo but bit different
Yeah, the FIBA World Cup is bad example for him being the future of the national team… Germany wouldn’t have won in the semifinal without his bad defense.
I’m just so happy this is his normal level. This guy needs to get paid and I look forward to the rest of his career.
You know who isn’t happy? His fantasy owners who traded him in the first month of the season thinking they were selling high on a hot streak.
It’s me. I’m not happy.
I met him, got a picture and shook his hand during the summer btw so you’re welcome
He also made two crazy threes before this but i assumed someone else would get those lmao
i also would love to see someone post that lakers fan for making the half court shot for $100k
Putting Heats 5k half court shot to shame.
Jackie Moon tier
His foot was on the line father pat
Corn dogs Jackie! Corn dogs!
Poverty Franchise
? the fan missed the half court shot tonight
he made the 3 pointer for like a 2 night resort stay or something
Yea unless there was someone I missed, the dude missed the halfcourt then swished the 3pter
He did not what were you watching? He made the 3 pointer
$100k?! Dang inflation affecting half court rewards too
One time someone at the Laker game hit a halfcourt shot for like 250k and after that I think they capped it at 100k. It goes up every miss like the lotto
When Austin is ON, he’s one of the best players to watch
He has that Kyrie flair of dribbling with purpose and crafty finishing around the basket or in the midrange.
That’s such a great way of describing his style. I hope people don’t take it as you making a 1:1 comparison to Kyrie, but I definitely see what you mean by intentional dribbles. He seems to always be a move or two ahead, and has some lethal secondary moves to get to his spots
Hey if you wont say it I will, Austin Reaves will be better than Kyrie next season.
That’s not really a crazy take lol
Kyrie is coming off an ACL and will be 34. He’s no longer in his prime sadly.
When he first starting coming up and getting playing time, I couldn’t help but think “he’s seen some Pistol Pete in his younger days.”
His moves are not as aesthetic, but very efficient. He has a deep bag
Kyrie is his comp I been saying it, but cos of race people don’t say it
He’s like a less athletic slightly worse shooting 6,5( bigger) kyrie with better playmaking ( tho his playmaking n passing was at a lower level pre this year ).
I see more of a Larry Bird / John Stockton type
TJ McConnell / Kirk Hinrich
His legs arent as polished, but yes.
His bag isn’t as deep as Kyrie but it gets the job done
At the same time kyrie settles for a lot of long two jumpers - reaves isn’t as good a shooter but he NEVER settles . This dude has historic touch and rim pressure for a role player guard in his year 2 season. Which is why the ftr lakers complaints are idiots . He has a great first step handle as finishing touch n package that’s his actual strength going back to college - he uses that to draw fts correctly
*year 5 season bro
He’s gets downhill like Ky but will also pull up and talk shit like Luka.
Its like he goes super saiyan and can do no wrong
You have to love the modern NBA. You’re an eight foot tall center, so what do you do with a guard mismatch? Take him 22 feet away from the basket, and screw around with the ball, and then dribble it.
Genius.
Exactly. Your job as the big against a guard is to pump fake and try to grift a foul.
AUSTIN WASN’T HAVIN’ IT
Embiid’s much better at facing up, why are we pretending he isn’t.
Because he wasn’t even trying to score here. He could’ve just shot over Reaves or bully his way to the basket for an easy bucket, but instead he desperately tries to bait for a foul and turns the ball over. That’s like the quintessential Embiid experience.
do people know what the triple threat is
Triple threat is a bad option when you’ve got two feet of extra height and probably at least an extra 50kg on your opponent. That’s bully ball time
I mean, he messed up. We don’t need to re-litigate Joel Embiid’s game in 2026 lol.
This isn’t even foul baiting ? He tried to make space on a face up and then lost the ball driving when that didn’t work.
It’s 100% foul baiting wtf are you watching
Deadass the best face up scorer of the last decade
Crazy how much the game has changed that ppl think a triple threat face up is just foul grifting
Has anybody here watched Michael Jordan
Embiid kind of sucked as a back to the basket center. He’s always wanted to play like a guard
You don’t have to be that good, when you have 9 inches and 75 pounds on the guy checking you.
I’m just telling you the reason he doesn’t even go in the low post ever. Also much easier to double team him down there
Also much easier to double team him down there
Serious doubt.
30 years ago, sure. In the modern NBA, there are rarely any defenders within spitting distance of the lane, and never more than one. They are all standing 20 feet from the hoop trying to stop low-percentage shots.
Are you blind or dumb? Literally more than half the team is right there when embiid is driving
That’s because the sixers have 3⁄5 guys inside the 3 point line for some reason
Turn your brain on, before resorting to insult next time.
We were discussing the hypothetical situation where Embiid is on the low-block. In which case, among other things, that teammate standing at the dunker’s spot would not be there.
You don’t watch the games, do you? The moment a center with any sort of post skill touches a ball near the post with a small on them, they are getting doubled. Defenses would rather a three attempt from a skip pass across the floor, than let a center enter a clean post up against a guard.
You don’t watch the games, do you? The moment a center with any sort of post skill touches a ball near the post with a small on them, they are getting doubled.
Here are some clips to educate you, since you don’t “watch games”.
https://youtu.be/YD0zGRN-8O4?t=455
https://youtu.be/L4Rv6EMjxxs?t=191
https://youtu.be/L4Rv6EMjxxs?t=211
https://youtu.be/UG9E636IzfE?t=207
https://youtu.be/UG9E636IzfE?t=896
I don’t have all day to post clips to illustrate how entirely wrong you are, but that’ll do for now. Suffice it to say, you are the one that needs to at least occasionally watch a basketball game.
If you are going to post such garbage, I suggest that you remove your Lakers’ flair, as you are embarrassing that logo.
Defenses would rather a three attempt from a skip pass across the floor, than let a center enter a clean post up against a guard.
That has not been the case for a long time. Defenses do not even attempt to prevent uncontested dunks anymore, because they are so preoccupied with defending against threes.
my goodness this is certainly a comment of all time lol
you’ve got to be kidding me.
it’s just court geometry. there’s a lot less paint or low post space than perimeter space. If you’re close to the basket there’s going to be more defenders within help distance while also covering your passing lanes.
Love how your first post got so many upvotes when it’s pretty much the same opinion as this, but you just spelled out how actually dumb the logic is in this comment instead and got the deserved downvotes.
Yall say this and then throw a tantrum about how guards are allowed to maul centers
Back to the basket center doesn’t really exist in the nba anymore. Centers still post up, but it’s very rare to see a guy where that’s all he does.
It’s too easy to limit options when they are getting the ball in the post
It’s too easy to draw a charge when backing down outside of the post.
I mean he plays like a bigger stronger kd at his peak
Dunno why we’re complaining o
The top defenses (Thunder, Detroit, Boston) have all shown how to deal with post ups from bigs. You have the forward on the big playing ultra physical and you put a defender off the opponent’s worst shooter near the nail quarterbacking the defense and direct a hard double once the big put the ball down. If he kicks it out, you live with the worst three point shooter shooting with a quick close out.
Ok but if you do that you get doubled and stripped. Embid is also all time great midrange shooter and mid in post books etc
Embiid has my least favorite play style of any big, he’s the biggest flopper
Idc what yall say, genuine all NBA level player, premium second option on a contender
Hope we can put a real team around him and Luka starting next year so we don’t waste his prime. But in the meantime I’m so happy he is back. His absence was sorely missed in handful of our losses.
I’ll wait to see it in the playoffs tbh
[deleted]
I honestly can’t remember a bad reaves game this season. He’s been straight amazing this season
when has he been inconsistent this season?
Uhh obviously when he was injured for over a month! /s
Scored 0 in like 15 straight games. Dudes a bum.
That’s still petty consistent. No deviation in points scored.
Yeah it’s like he was invisible out there
You don’t average 26 by being inconsistent
Lakers fan: 26 pgg is pretty consistent
This guy: Damn dude fuck you for disagreeing with me, insecure much? Typical Lakers fan!
And then becomes the first one to actually show insecurity by tossing in an insult lol stop it 😂
You called one of our most consistent players inconsistent, the fuck were you expecting?
Ok so you don’t get to call someone insecure because you put out misinformation lmao
Laker haters are worse than lakers fan
Keep digging
You must be thinking of last year or something because the start of this season he was insane including a 51 and 41 point game back to back.
The Return of The Nephew
you sound mad insecure lil man
You really deleted all your comments lol
Holy shit he’s actually torching them. Minutes restriction and playing like this
That Austin Reeves momentum swing was glorious
He’s so fucking good
Lunch pail kinda guy.
Nah he’s just genuinely good
why did calling him a lunch pail kinda guy get you so massively downvoted?
I thought that reference just meant he was a “no bullshit hard worker”, no?
It’s a meme for white players but specifically overrated white role players. Reaves is not a role player. He’s legitimately All-NBA caliber.
Austin gets emotional about the Vincent trade: “He was a little brother to me dawg, like the first real Gabe-vet to me. I hope he succeeds and he has a fan and brother in me for life. I woke up this morning and realized damn I’m not gonna see Cardi G downstairs anymore”
Cardi G is a top-tier nickname lmao
Big man trying to face up and drive past a guard from outside 20ft into traffic.
Trying to face up *and foul bait twice before driving
that’s your MVPity right there
This is foul baiting if you dont know what basketball is
https://youtu.be/iekqeoHB0Co
Reaves torching the Sixers
lol fuck embiid
Play basketball, you fucking fraud.
Can’t bait a master baiter.
game recognize game
AR DEFENSIVE HIGHLIGHT WE ARE SO BACK
This sixers team has so many low iq players
PAY THIS MAN WHATEVER HE WANTS. HE IS HIM.
I concur. Take whatever is a fair offer and then double it.
Reaves is a damn pitbull sheesh
That’s flawlessly done and I hate that the rules make rip throughs a foul.
Offenses get too much leeway.
Reaves is so locked in!
Reaves turning into prime Hugo Gonzalez
I hate flopping ass embiid. Good on Reaves for dogging him
A free throw merchant knows a free throw merchant’s game, incredible to watch.
So conflicted as a Cavs fan right now, long time Harden hater for this
David vs Goliath right there.
I thought David was supposed to be the short one?
That’s what I intended to say.
People act like this guy is trae young or Brunson etc tier or even Luka -on defence
He’s not , other then his third season where he got cooked he’s been a neutral to mild positive at time on the defence/rebounding /hustle side. I kept saying if he got stronger he could take another leap last two years and I think he did this summer and that’s helped him so much on both ends.
If reaves had Lukas 6,7 size and 7ft wingspan he’d be a legit positively impactful defender. I’m not even white but it feels like some of his criticism stems from that , his role , and mb his third season /fiba which coincides.
We’ve had ELITE defences when reaves is our weak link - just often he has to cover for Dlo and Luka. Really need to see reaves level effort from Luka in both off ball and defense and this team can improve to another lvl.
I swear Lakers fans all only like 1 of Reaves, Luka, or Lebron. Mavs have also had elite defenses with Luka as the weak link.
Idk how you’re insinuating Luka is worse on defense than Trae. Brunson and Trae are both tangibly worse.
Is any other fanbase as toxic at constantly tearing their own team down? It’s always everyone’s fault but one or two players, and even when they’re winning it’s never enough.
Relative to ladder position, because being sub .300 and pointing out your team’s flaws is kinda expected.
No I am not insuniatibg he’s worse then trae in defence who is terrible even if he tries more now.
Luka is worse defensively then reaves based off a year sample I’ve seen. Epm also agrees and uts the only non Garbo defensive metric - and that gives Luka bonus prob. Luka when locked is a great defensive playmaker but ofyrn just good due to energy lvl n effort, good rebounder , but gotta remember scheme wise he’s a pf on defence not a pg . So that also hurts him getting vakue from pg rebounding.
Simply put if Luka pkayed defensively as hard as reaves does- tho that would require elite conditioning - defensively I feel he’d be a plus .
We had a much better defense as the lakers with reaves withoit Dlo or Luka . It’s hard to ignore. No this isn’t a shot at Luka . I think I cba with that . But we need the highest ceiling version of Luka , Lebron n reaves - or atleast shoukd want that. Luka has defensive games like the spurs games with 5+ stocks or was it 5 steals. But he’s often too much being lazy and arguing with refs. This game even he got injured b defensive got better he literally chooses to argue to refs over getting back . If annoyed me when Bron did it but he’s even worse at it
We can be objective he’s a great player but do you think he’s perfect or playing to his utter 100% best? Mine wasn’t even a luka criticism but there’s clearly some meat on bone thete. Reaves does those moving off ball relocation threes and I feel like that’s stuff luja could add etc
Dudes a step in front of the three point line. Who does he think he’s fooling with those pump fakes?
embiid’s foul baiting on LaRavia made AR mad and completely turned the game around lol
That specific play posted is upsetting the hell out of me. He’s clearly trying to foul bait Reaves with the rip move thing instead of actually pump faking Reaves in the ar.
He’s so special.
Maybe this is just me being a casual but Embiid doesn’t seem like he genuinely wants to score the ball at any point in this clip. He looks more like he’s trying to get himself free throws. It’s corny as hell to watch 🫤
Congratulations you have figured out Embiid’s game
Embiid plays like a bitch
This is Neo resurrected and fighting Smith, dodging every move lol
Sixers were flailing for fouls the entire game
he has been good lately
Man wtf was Embiid doing? Thats supposed to be BBQ chicken or at the very least defense collapsing. Austin guarded that on his own. Only thing i dont like about the modern big.
God I hat watching Embiid play
Everything Embiid did was an attempt to draw a foul and not an attempt to score a basket. There’s no way Reaves can block a shot attempt by Embiid. Just shoot over him.
AUSTIN D’SHAUNE REAVES
Reaves showing Embiid he’s the new baiter in chief
Hillbilly Jesus saved my life.
Convo starts with Giannis and 3 unprotected firsts
He baited the master baiter.
Honestly, I know it’s a hot take but I think Austin contributes to winning more than Luka.
Hoping that kind of energy and discipline can spread to the rest of the team so their defense as a whole improves.
Great defense amazing player to watch on both sides of the court
Also this is why nba gets a bad rap, going 1 on 1 zero attempts to pass everyone else on the court standing and watching. And he get bailed out with foul calls a lot. And I’m an nba fan!!
Damn what a timeline. 40 years after the bird magic rivalry the roles flip and now the lakers are the whitest team in the league with Austin Reeves and Luka
Rip through move is so weak lmao. Looks like a fool out there
Laravia was guarding embiid in an almost identical situation, chest out arms back embiid pulls up and grazes his arm against laravias chest and gets the And1 call… the foul calls seriously need to be addressed
Embiid should know better than to try and grift a grifter.
What a great clip. Hard not to like Reaves… He looks so pumped after this play too (rightfully so)
I hate that elite defense in 2026 is running away from all the foul baiting attempts by the offensive player.
Everyone else looked flat. Reeves saved this game for the Lakers.
Embiid was more focused on getting the foul than scoring, so he was caught off when he was forced to make a basketball play
I will never let anyone tell me this big man was one of the best at anything except farming numbers in meaningless regular season games. And I’ll accept all the downvotes that go with that sentiment every time.
Reaves is a bad defender? Nah we’ve just been playing him wrong, clearly he’s just an undiscovered paint defender. Throw him in the post against Wemby and Joker and let him shine!
His defense is a lot better than casual fans think. He gives plenty of effort and actually tries to execute. I love Bron but he doesn’t give a F anymore on defense
Might just be because his fast twitch reflexes aren’t what they used to be.
When ur only move doesn’t work and u look like a fool afterwards 🤡
Didn’t 2 strip it?
Play by play credits it as a lost ball turnover, so no steal
Wasn’t sure myself tbh
He deserved to be an All Star this year, career year for him other than the absences!
Is it flawless defence or is Embiid just incapable of making 2 consecutive dribbles
11½00”`₩♧
I guess he defended fine. Embiid didn’t really give him much to do.
One possession. MY GOD
Can someone help a lapsed fan out. Hand checking is long gone but Austin places a hand on Embid several times, is that not a foul?
Hand checking is very much alive and well and upto the refs whether they want to call it, OKC does it a lot. You’ll see “aggressive defense” which is just committing so many fouls that the refs won’t call them all.
So it’s like holding in football, it always happens