‘I SAW GREATNESS’ 🔥 Perk sees Austin Reaves’ Lakers role EXPANDING after game winner | NBA Today

‘I SAW GREATNESS’ 🔥 Perk sees Austin Reaves’ Lakers role EXPANDING after game winner | NBA Today

So, Park Chenet, no Luca, no LeBron. Uh, it’s a good thing he’s him in Lakerland. Austin Reeves had himself a night. We’re going to head to Minnesota where the Lakers were visiting the Timberwolves. No Anthony Edwards in this one either. Perk, it’s been quite the week for Austin Reeves. He came in, he had 41 points, he had 51 points. But last night, he had a little help from Jake Laavia. Absolutely. But look, look at this pass right here. Doesn’t it remind you of Luca Brawn, AD Brawn? That fullcourt awareness. That’s That’s what you call greatness. And Austin loving it as well. Next possession here, the Lakers in transition. Reeves this connection again. Perk. I know. Look at the the spacing, the sprinting of the floor, the drive and kick. Nice little move right there off the one leg. Little derk action. So, let’s go to fourth quarter now. The Lakers lead 10289. Austin Reeves drives, connects again with Larabia, drains the three. Jake Laavia finished with a game 27 points, 10 of 11 shooting. Anthony Edwards and a fan could not believe it. [Music] That’s what I’m saying. I don’t know Jana. I know. Well, they known him now. Yeah. If you don’t know the scouting report, but that back court was cooking. Austin Reeves, he was facilitator, but also you watch right here, the T-Wolves started sniping back. Yeah. They started to to really close this game and Anthony Edwards loving it. The Lakers, have you met a closeout? Come on, fam. What do we What do we A lot of people were nervous at this point. They were getting the looks that they needed to. The Lakers defense a little sus down the stretch, but then you know what that calls for later on? A little bit of a hero, right? Julius Ramon was cooking all night. What you call big boy. He was asking for ice. He wanted the ball. He wanted the match up. He wanted the smoke. Underrated bag. So, what do the Lakers need? I need a hero. Austin Reeds. guy you want with the ball in his hands. Drives, splits the screen and roll. Ah, tough. Nice little feathery touch. Look at the celebration foot. Yeah, this is a Lakers team that’s happy for each other’s success. That’s a good sign. We love to see it. Lakers win 106 105. Reeves had 28 points. Here he was after the game. But before that, he joined some elite company. He hit a buzzer beater in a game where he racked up 25 points and 15 assists. Magic Johnson was the first player ever in NBA history to do it against the Suns in 1989. And nearly 20 years later, LeBron pulled off the hattick. He capped off a 37 and 15 and 10 night with a gamewinner over Jimmy Butler at the buzzer. And then there was Austin Reeves. That’s it. That is the list. Jana, how was it that Reeves was able to get this done down the stretch? We got to take one more look at this shot here. So impressive. I feel like anytime we have a game winner, a buzzer beater in the NBA, we got to do something. So, I’m asking you guys to tell me like what should we do? Should like jump something crazy because it was wild. With 145 left in the third, the Lakers were up by 20. And then after a huge T- Wolves run, they were down by one with 10 seconds left. Then Austin, I’m Reeves with his first buzzer beater. Let’s break it down. So, they knew what they wanted. The Lakers, they wanted a switch. That’s why Rudy Gobear is ringed right here. He does a good job going up against Jay McDaniels, who’s also a great defender. But the switch is coming. So Austin is going to bait it. Good screen by DeAndre Aton. Now when you have a big out there, you split the screen. It doesn’t matter that he’s a four-time defensive player of the year. But watch Dante Devontenzo right here. He thinks he’s going to go all the way to the rim. He goes for the charge. Last minute, hits the floater. It was a beautiful shot by Austin Reeves understanding the game. What this showed me was his basketball IQ. And y’all, Austin Reeves, he’s having a generational start. He is the second NBA player in NBA history to average 40 points and 10 assists on 50 40 90 shooting. The only other person that got that type of numbers, that type of production, they made a nickname for him. Dame time. Damen Lillard. Great start for AR. Okay, so the nickname is the bank is then open. People need one for AR, right? They may have seen this buzzer beater go down after midnight on the East Coast, but that didn’t keep social media the praise from pouring in. Some people may be surprised what they’re seeing from Austin Reeves, but you know, see my tweet made it up here. Well, we we had to blur out LeBron’s. That’s the only reason it’s not up there. All right. Oh, there we go. There it is. Let’s take a listen to Austin Reeves. He’s not surprised. I was with my my mom’s best friend. I was probably like seven and I didn’t even really play basketball yet. And she asked me what I wanted to do when I was older and I said I wanted to play in the NBA. And I I mean I I had, you know, played basketball in the yard and stuff. And she was like, cuz I played a lot of baseball. And she was like, “Oh, you mean the MLB?” And I was like, “No, I want to play in the NBA.” And I I don’t know why I said it cuz I didn’t I didn’t love the game at that point, but it was meant to be. And yeah, I mean, it’s it’s obviously fun when it’s high, but you know, as as low as you get, sometimes the struggle’s fun, too. You have to figure out how to get through it. You got to be a problem solver on the go. It’s not easy. Um, it’s been a fun week. And over the last three games, as we say hello to our senior writer, Brian Winhorse, Austin Reeves, we’ve seen the scorer. We’ve seen Austin Reeves the facilitator. We’ve seen Austin Reeves the finisher. Perk, can you What’s What’s the most impressive part? Everything. Underrated defender. We know he could put the ball in the bucket. We know we respect his handle and his his uh being able to create for others and himself. But I saw greatness last night. I saw greatness. And y’all didn’t heard me over the last four or five years. What I always say about superstars, star players, when you able to get yours and make others around you better. That’s what we saw last night. Austin Reeves, the ultimate floor general last night making guys around him better. Larabia career night. Ruy Hachimar cooking. DeAndre Aiden catching in his sweet spot with that feathery little 15-footer. Damn it. That’s what I saw last night was greatness. Well, I think the question becomes Lakers fans are watching this. They’re getting excited and they think, “All right, well, we going to get Lulu Luca back hopefully as soon as next week. We’re going to get LeBron back at some point in November. So, Brian, the void for him to fill these roles, it won’t necessarily be there for long.” How can Reeves sort of build off of this stretch when those two come back? Well, they need to realize that they can run sections of the game through Austin Reeves, and that’s what they’re going to I’m sure JJ Reic is going to do. The thing about this game that was so impressive to me, the entire Timberwolves game plan was set up against him. They put Jaden McDaniels, their 68 def or their 610 defensive ace on him. That’s the kind of treatment the other team’s best player gets. And Reeves was getting trapped in this game. They were really trying to force him. And guess what? He didn’t have a great shooting game. He was nine of 24. McDaniels did a good job in this game, but he generated 24 assist opportunities. He went from being the guy who was going to score 40 or 50. They didn’t want to let him do it. So, he created for his teammates, guys. That is what a superstar does. He takes what’s given to him and he dominates which whatever is given to him. That’s how Luca plays. That’s how LeBron plays. And this message that Austin is sending is that’s how I can play, too. Brian, the most magical unlock of this game, this masterpiece by Austin Reeves, even though it wasn’t perfect, was the fact that he unlocked DeAndre Aton’s game. To me, that’s the most sustainable thing for Lakers success. It’s not just LeBron, Luca, and Reeves. They need a big that can be productive. And we saw that in the short role. DeAndre Aton eight for 11, 17, and I think 10. Those are the types of plays that you need from your big. He was not timid. He was playing with force. He has some stomp in him. A little bit of stomp. That’s what Perk’s been wanting. So if DeAndre Aton is able to be this confident. I mean at points he was ducking in over Rudy Goar knocking down that hook shot. He had a beautiful touch in the mid-range. That’s the DeAndre Aton that will make the Lakers so much better. And you have to credit Austin Reeves for making his teammate. And again, look at those pocket pass. So it wasn’t DeAndre, keep rolling. I need you at the rim. No, I I’ve been watching film and I saw with CP3 you like it in the short row. So again, greatness to Austin Reed. And I don’t know if Austin Reeves is a 25 point per game scorer when those two come back. But I do know since Luca debuted, Austin Reeves, Luca, LeBron all have averaged 20 and five, right? That is what the Lakers need along with DeAndre Aton for them to be able to keep pace in this very crowded Western Conference. Since I just drove here like a mad woman from the ESPNW Summit, I figured we’d continue taking a little trip, go coast to coast. We’ll check in on the Eastern Conference, though. We’ll start in Chicago with the undefeated, yes, you heard that right, Chicago Bulls. Matas Fuzzelis a season high 27 in a win over the Kings 4-0 on the season. Four of the four one of four unmaining unbeaten teams. I can’t speak today, Chen. So tell me what’s happening in Chicago. Well, what’s interesting is that 86% of the time you make the playoffs if you start 4 and 0. So signs are looking good in Chicago. They have a pretty well balanced roster with Giddy at the point guard, Buch at the center. I do like what they’re building. It was a soft rebuild, but it looks like it’s working with a wideopen Eastern conference. Chenet’s stat of the day. Next up, the Hawks. They got a win in Brooklyn. The Atlanta bench, they actually outscored the starters in this one, mainly because Troy Young left in the first quarter with a right knee sprain. So, Parker, how much trouble are they in if he misses any time here? Well, I mean, they just got to find a way. To me, I looked at their schedule. They could win like two out of their next three games. And again, I’m going to rely on the guy Jaylen Johnson. I think he’s going to have to put this team on his back and show them what they what he’s capable of doing. He had 23 points last night. Quinn Snyder did say the most important thing is it’s not his ACL, which is good news. All right, finally, Jaylen Brown put the Cavaliers in a blender and pressed puree. This buzzer beater was part of his 85th career 30-point game, sixth most in Celtics history. Mr. Windhorse, rocky start. How are we feeling about Boston though? Quintessential Jaylen Brown game doing it at both ends. His jumper was on in this game. Hit seven out of eight uncontested shots. But defensively, he was also great. The Cavs just four of 10 when he was the primary defender and they had no answer for him at the offensive end. He scored on five different Cavs defenders. When Jaylen Brown plays like this, Celtics still dangerous. Yeah, we were unsure of Donovan Mitchell status going into this one, but he did play. Their offense though hasn’t been the same in the early going. They’re just 17th offensively after leading the league on that side of the ball last year. But Perk, I hear you uh spy something on this Cavaliers squad. I’m Kendrick Perkins, better known as Big Perk. And nothing gets past me. Freeze. Just when you thought it did get past me, there I am. I spy a problem. I spy it all. Tear the hell on. You’re damn right. I spy something. I spy a bunch of cupcakes. Creamy in the middle. Sweet. That’s what I spy when I think about the Cleveland Cavaliers. Don’t come giving me they were embarrassed, they had a horrible off season, and you come out and you play with a not not a lack of sense of urgency. On top of that, no effort. And it starts with your people in the middle, including Evan Mobley. Okay. And we’re looking at this play. We know he’s skilled, but to take the next jump, I need to see more effort. The the Celtics, one of the worst rebounding teams in the league this season, outrebounded them. And then we look at this effort right here. Okay, you don’t get the long rebound. Now look at this close out. You are 7 foot 611. Jaylen Brown 66. This is a I hope you miss not a make you miss contest. If the Cavs are serious about trying to get to the promised land damage, you got to have the el. You got to have the heart and you cannot be soft and friendly. Period. All right. Well, maybe with different adjectives today, but if you were going to drill down into it, why are the Cavaliers struggling so much out the gate? I don’t want to overreact. No DG Darius Garland, right? So that affects them, but I don’t want to overreact because they’re three and two. But I do have an expectation for them to be more competitive. And I know that Donovan Mitchell last year took the step towards leadership and he’s going to go out there and try to will, you know, will them to be competitive. The way he’s knocking down threes, but other than that, I just see a lack of force, particularly on the defensive end. This is a team that obviously paced the NBA last year, I think, and with overall wins. They were very intentional about the opportunity each game presents. This was a Celtic squad that was kind of just vibing. This was a Joe Misilla quintessential type of game. Everyone shoot threes and then all of a sudden when there’s smoke, there’s fire. They gave confidence to their opponents by not dictating. And to me that’s not the standard. When you understand this year, they have a chance to win it all. This is a team that is fully capable when healthy. So the Cleveland Cavaliers, I just I just noticed the lack of toughness defensively where that should be their bread and butter. Go ahead, Wendy. Yeah. So Parker, you mentioned it about their rebounding. They’ve been outrebounded in four of the first five games so far. And you know, last year, not only did they have the number one offense in the league, but they had the number two offense in the history of the league based on efficiency. They also were number two in three point percentage, and now they’re down to 14th. So, you take out um three starters. They’re missing Darius Garland, Max Struce, and Sam Merrill right now. And now all of a sudden, when the rebounding isn’t as good, it starts to show up. their margin for error as a team is just much smaller than what they’re used to. So those things like Evan Mobley’s closeouts and you know getting to loose balls. They could get away with C++ efforts on that at times last year. Right now with their health situation, they can’t get away with it and that’s the lesson they’ve learned of this first two weeks. The legend two things the legend DB did an outstanding job on the call. She she mentioned Kenny Atinson then had to get on them twice at halftime about that effort. Unacceptable. The second part of things is quick story. My high school coach when I was playing in high school, he used to always tell me, “Hey, look, first three minutes I need you to shoot an elbow at the opposing big that you’re playing against, right? And if he hit you, if he don’t hit you back, you got him. But if he hit you back, you in for a fight. All I’m saying is at what point are somebody somebody on the the calves going to be the instigators and not the retaliators? At some point you got to check the temperature and it can’t come from your guards. Yeah, you it can’t come from your guards. It got to come from your bigs. As I’m with Chenet, we’re only four or five games into the season so we’re not going to overreact to this. But the Cavaliers fine then we’ll leave it to that side of the table. [Music]

On NBA Today, Malika Andrews is joined by Kendrick Perkins, Chiney Ogwumike and Brian Windhorst to react to Austin Reaves’ buzzer-beating game winner for the Los Angeles Lakers over Minnesota Timberwolves. Then, the panel analyze the undefeated Chicago Bulls and why the Cleveland Cavaliers are struggling out the gate.

0:00 Lakers vs. Timberwolves highlights
2:12 Austin Reaves game winner reaction
5:23 Reaves’ role in making teammates better
8:42 Coast to Coast! Bulls, Hawks & Celtics
10:39 iSpy with Big Perk 👀
12:01 What’s wrong with Cavs?

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