Austin Reaves returned sooner than Lakers expected from injury

The one factor you may’t query about Austin Reaves is his need to play.

He performed in all 82 video games through the 2023-24 NBA season, and final 12 months, he was nonetheless competing in opposition to the Wolves within the playoffs regardless of a big toe sprain.

On Monday morning, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN revealed an article revealing that the Lakers did not anticipate Reaves to return so rapidly, and that it was solely attainable due to their around-the-clock efforts.

The Lakers initially assumed he could be out till the convention finals, group sources advised ESPN, however Reaves was decided to get again for not less than a few of the Lakers’ playoff run.

“I left my house every day around 7:30 in the morning to get treatment and didn’t come home until about 8 at night,” Reaves advised ESPN. “I was going crazy trying to get back. … I was in that hyperbaric chamber all the time.”

Kudos to Reaves for doing all the things attainable to play within the postseason. Given the severity of his injury, nobody was ever going to query how lengthy he took to return, so his placing in 12-hour days to get again is spectacular and admirable.

Against the Thunder, he is continued enjoying a excessive variety of minutes and has carried out all the things attainable to assist the Lakers win. In Game 2, I’ve scored a playoff career-high 31 points.

Even the Lakers did not suppose Reaves would return so rapidly, however that is the factor about Austin: simply if you suppose he cannot impress you extra, he finds a approach to exceed your expectations.

Reaves is a franchise participant for the Lakers, and his restoration work is one other instance of why. He does all the things attainable to be a prime performer and can set a regular of effort that the remainder of the group must attempt to match.