Austin Reaves suffered a calf injury that would take him out for the next month. He sustained the injury earlier in December, but he re-aggravated it during the Los Angeles Lakers' Christmas Day game against the Houston Rockets.
This has left a massive void in the Lakers' rotation, as Reaves has been excellent this season. Luka Doncic remains the primary guard in the backcourt, but now, he will need some help. Lakers head coach J.J. Redick believes Nick Smith Jr. Will need to face the challenge of stepping in for Reaves.
Smith is under pressure to impress Redick
Earlier in the season, Smith had some standout performances against the Toronto Raptors and the Portland Trail Blazers. The latter was one of the most impressive Lakers performances of the season, as they were without their star players.
However, Smith was the main man during the game, scoring 25 points and dishing out six assists in the surprise victory. Since then, Smith has not been the star of the show, as Reaves and Doncic took over as the primary options in the backcourt. Unfortunately, Reaves is out injured now, so it is time for Smith to grab the opportunity again.
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Losing Reaves is a significant blow for the Lakers, as he has been playing All-Star-level basketball this season. Unfortunately, injuries happen, and his calf will need to heal for the next month. The Lakers still have a decent roster, but they lack guard depth without Reaves and Gabe Vincent.
"I think for Nick, he’s got an opportunity, which happens throughout the season for a lot of the two ways when there are multiple injuries at a position. With Gabe continuing to be out, I think, the next game, two games, three games, however long it takes, Nick’s got an opportunity now," Redick said ahead of the Lakers' game against the Kings.
"He’s helped win us two games already this season in Toronto and in Portland. So we trust him. We’re not going to ask him to do more. We never ask guys to do more. But he’s going to get consistent minutes for the foreseeable future."
Moving forward, Redick will need to make adjustments to his rotation. However, Smith will play a good amount of minutes in the meantime. He will be the primary backup for Doncic and Marcus Smart, which will be a pressure-filled role, but he is ready to step up.
Most players only need one opportunity to prove themselves, and Smith will relish what he is getting. Unfortunately, injuries happen, but the next man up must step up.
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