Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves expressed confidence in the team’s offseason additions after making his preseason debut against the Sacramento Kings.
Reaves returned from an ankle injury Thursday and helped Los Angeles secure a 114-110 victory, recording eight points, eight assists and five rebounds.
The game marked his first opportunity to share the court with several new teammates, including Quentin Grimes, Kevon Looney, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Matisse Thybulle.
Following the victory, Reaves spoke positively about the contributions of the Lakers’ newcomers.
“They were awesome,” Reaves said about his teammates. “Matisse has been great, Mamu was great, Jake’s been really good. Could go down the list. Very excited with what we have.”
Reaves is already familiar with Luka Doncic, having played alongside the Slovenian star for approximately a year and a half.
However, the Lakers made several roster changes during the offseason, making the remaining preseason games important for developing chemistry.
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Los Angeles is also waiting for additional players to return. Ziaire Williams has missed the team’s last two games, while Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton have yet to appear during the preseason.
Head coach JJ Redick confirmed that Kessler will play before the preseason ends and indicated that Sexton is expected to be available for the regular-season opener.
The Lakers will face the Warriors in Las Vegas on Tuesday before concluding their preseason schedule against the Denver Nuggets on October 16.
