The Los Angeles Lakers walked into Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder without their star playmaker Luka Dončić, and it showed. While the purple and gold held their own in the first half, the wheels came off in the second, with the team managing just 19 points per quarter. LeBron James pointed to the obvious—missing Dončić changes everything. But head coach JJ Redick had a sharper critique, and it was aimed squarely at Austin Reaves.

"Yeah, he didn’t play well." That was Redick’s blunt assessment of Reaves after the loss, as reported by Sam Amick of The Athletic. And the numbers back up the coach's frustration. Reaves logged 36 minutes but managed only eight points on an abysmal 18.75% shooting from the field. Worse, he went 0-for from beyond the arc. He did dish out six assists, but those were overshadowed by a game-high four turnovers, as the Thunder’s aggressive defense forced him into mistakes all night.

On the defensive end, Reaves wasn’t a total liability—he grabbed five rebounds and added a block. But in a game where precision basketball was non-negotiable against a Thunder squad hungry to repeat, his offensive struggles were a glaring weak link. Throwing things at the wall and hoping they stick doesn’t work against a team like Oklahoma City, and Reaves simply didn’t have a firm grasp of the game plan when it mattered most.

With Dončić still sidelined, the Lakers need every player to step up—especially their guards. For Reaves, Game 2 is a chance to bounce back and prove he can handle the pressure. Will he find his rhythm, or will the Thunder’s defense continue to expose his weaknesses? Lakers fans—and Coach Redick—will be watching closely.