Former NFL Star and current sports commentator, Shannon Sharpe, fired shots at Austin Reaves. He criticized Reaves because of his defensive performance against the Denver Nuggets during the 1st round of playoffs. The conversation centered around the Austin Reaves’ defensive limitations and the overall challenges the Lakers faced.

Reaves’ Defensive Liability Exposed

Sharpe pinpointed Reaves as a potential defensive liability, specifically mentioning his struggles in pick-and-roll situations. Sharpe said “The problem is that Austin Reaves is a good he’s a good offensive player but he his foot the liability on defense because you know they’re gonna put you in the pick and roll and you gotta fight hard.” He also spoke about how Reaves struggled against Jamal Murray, Sharpe said “You know it’s just Murray I mean Murray ain’t no easy task but when you’re in the Western Conference ain’t none of the guards in the west easy task”

Austin Reaves played for 37 minutes against the Denver Nuggets. And he only scored 13 points. He was just involved in 4 rebounds and 3 assists. But blaming Reaves for the bad performance isn’t right. It was a collective team effort, which costed the Lakers match tonight. Jamal Murray had a great night. He was involved in 6 rebounds and 10 assists, and he scored 22 points.

Looking Ahead for the Lakers

The Lakers must look to neutralize Jamal Murray. Murray has great footwork, and he easily creates chances for his teammates. Reaves is playing his 3rd season and is relatively young. He has played well throughout the season. He averages 15.9 points per game. Footwork is crucial in guarding Murray. Improving his footwork allows Reaves to stay in front of his opponent and challenge more shots.

The remaining rounds are crucial for both the teams. The Nuggets are on a 5-game winning streak against the Lakers in the playoffs. Every player from the Lakers side must step up and perform to make that Championship run. All eyes would be on LeBron James, Anthony Davis & D’Angelo Russell. On the other hand, the Nuggets would like to extend their winning streak against the Lakers with the help of ‘The Joker‘ Nikola Jokić & Jamal Murray. Ultimately, the team that executes their defensive plans better and adjusts quicker will have the upper hand in this highly anticipated playoff matchups.