Austin Rivers breaks down why Austin Reaves may never become LA Lakers’ Klay Thompson

If that form holds up, it might start to look a bit like the old Golden State Warriors set-up, where Klay Thompson was thriving as the third option behind Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.

But Austin Rivers, now working as an analyst after his playing days, does not think that is how things will play out.

Rivers’ argument is based on playing style. LeBron and Doncic are both ball-dominant players, just like Reaves has become in their absence. He does not see how all three can keep up high production at the same time.

“So if you have guys out with a guy who can create his own shot with unlimited touches, he’s a guy who can put up numbers. The key for him is because he does the bulk of his scoring with the handle,” he began by saying.

“How can you be a great third option when LeBron’s out there and when Luka is out there because these guys also are on-the-ball threats? They’re not Klay Thompson. Klay Thompson could have 30 points for dribbling four times. Reaves can’t do that.”

“Reaves needs to pick and roll. Reaves needs to come up. His clips were fantastic. He’s definitely a prolific scorer; he needs the ball to do that, like dribbling, to set up his rhythm.”

Austin Rivers questions if Austin Reaves can adapt to a secondary role

Rivers makes a good point, as LeBron and Doncic both need to control the ball to play at their best. He also points out that Reaves’ game is quite different from Thompson’s.

When Reaves shared the floor with Doncic against Minnesota, his usage rate was just 23.4%, compared to over 35% in his last two games without either of them.

This shift could mean head coach JJ Redick goes back to a more LeBron and Doncic-centric approach, which might reduce Reaves’ chances to fully display his skills for the Lakers.