According to The Athletic reporter Jovan Buha, Lakers young forward Austin Reeves has vowed not to give his next coach any reason to doubt his ability to handle the physical stress of 82 games. This offseason, he has gained 12 pounds, from 197 pounds before to 209 pounds now.
Last season, some teams would deliberately target Reeves, trying to take advantage of his thin body to launch attacks. While he held his own in many matchups—his on-ball defense was one of his best skills as a rookie—he was sometimes exposed against more athletic forwards. plate.
"This is what I focus on," Rivers said of his weight gain plan, "I go to the training gym with a good attitude every day, and I do whatever they ask me to do. Let me Your body is in top shape so things like the rookie wall don't hold you back. You can work harder to overcome it because you're in better shape and have better physical conditioning."
Reeves hopes to take advantage of those extras. Strength to improve the ability to defend the flanks and enhance the confrontation ability on the offensive end. He found a nutritionist and a chef and ate healthier than before. He has also become more flexible and recently started practicing yoga.
Last season, Rivers averaged 7.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 0.5 steals per game.
