Austin Reaves faced significant challenges in the Lakers' playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Expected to defend Anthony Edwards, he experienced a notable decline in his performance, with drops in points, assists, and shooting percentages. Rather than performing at or above his regular season level, Reaves found it difficult to create separation against opposing defenders, was hindered by physical playoff-style defense, and saw an increase in turnovers and fouls. His struggles underscored the difficulties faced when matched against elite competition in high-stakes games.
However, instead of elevating his game as he'd done in year's past, Reaves saw significant dips nearly across the board as his points (down 4.0 per game), assists (down 2.2), free throw attempts (down 3.6), and shooting percentages (down 4.9% overall, 5.8% from behind the arc) all declined while his turnovers and fouls committed per game went up.
What stood out most in watching Reaves, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, was how much he struggled to create separation against his individual defender.
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