Austin Reaves Silences Haters With Bounceback Performance For USA

Austin Reaves has been one of the main highlights for Team USA this summer at the FIBA World Cup. However, he did face fan criticism after his poor performance in their shocking defeat to Lithuania, where he shot 25% from the field and scored only 7 points in just under 13 minutes of play.

Embarrassing. He's giving me Jeremy Lin vibes.— Russ (@Russ__ATX) September 3, 2023

AR15 pic.twitter.com/UcEWlDAZy8— McMulletBalls' (@McMulletBalls) September 3, 2023

Fortunately, this was not an elimination game for the USA, and they were given a chance to redeem themselves against Italy in the Quarterfinals. The United States ended up winning by 37, and Reaves returned to the form he had been showing throughout the entire tournament. After the game, Austin was asked how he was able to bounce back after a tough defeat, and he shared that he never lost confidence to begin with. He mentioned that he watched film and figured out where he went wrong.





Reaves' rise to basketball stardom truly took off last season when he became a crucial offensive weapon during the Los Angeles Lakers' conference finals run. Consequently, he signed a 4-year, $56,000,000 deal to stay with the Lakers. However, considering his performance for Team USA this summer, many teams may regret not offering him a contract in free agency.

Despite coming off the bench, Reaves has been averaging the third-most assists and points for USA, while also making approximately half of his shot attempts. His productivity, coupled with his youth, has placed Reaves among the favorites to win the Most Improved Player Award next season. Additionally, with rumors of him taking on a larger role for the Lakers and providing more playmaking rather than just bench scoring, it appears likely that he will be in contention.

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