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It’s finally here.
NBA Opening Night has eluded basketball fans for months, but hoopers worldwide can sit back and enjoy five hours of basketball on a Tuesday night again.
While the reigning champions get top billing for their ring ceremony, the stars will be out in Hollywood for Tuesday’s second game of the doubleheader between the Warriors and Lakers.
The Warriors are holding as two-point road favorites as of Tuesday morning, due in part to the fact that LeBron James is inactive for this game and the foreseeable future.
Even without King James in the lineup, the Lakers have a dynamic duo worth watching.
Warriors vs. Lakers odds, prediction
When the Lakers made the trade for Luka Doncic, the pairing everyone was drooling over was Doncic and James.
Those two stars had to make room for a third ball handler and scorer who helped elevate the Lakers offense, though.
Austin Reaves had been steadily improving since his rookie year, but last season he truly flourished, particularly after the Lakers swapped Anthony Davis for Doncic.
His ability to play on or off the ball, using skills he had been honing playing next to James and Davis, became a dangerous weapon for the Lakers.
Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball during the game against the Golden State Warriors. NBAE via Getty Images
Doncic and James drew so much attention from defenders that Reaves was often left open in the corner to knock down 3-pointers.
Reaves went from shooting 38.7 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s before the trade to 41.6 percent after the trade. His on-ball game improved, too. He shot 37 percent on pull shots before the trade and 40 percent afterward.
The Lakers will rely on him to be even more of an on-ball threat with James sidelined by sciatica.
Betting on the NBA?
Based on what we saw last season, I’m confident that Reaves can handle being a creator while still taking advantage of the attention that Doncic will draw from defenses.
Doncic has worked best when he’s had a secondary ball handler next to him.
Jalen Brunson began to flourish in his last season with the Mavericks, and Kyrie Irving revived his career next to Doncic en route to an NBA Finals run in 2024.
Doncic and Reaves sharing the floor should be beneficial for the Lakers’ offense as a whole.
In the limited minutes that those two played together with James on the bench last season, Reaves was hyper-efficient. He posted a .690 Effective Field Goal Percentage, which would have qualified for the second-highest in the league over a full season, and scored 22.98 points per 36 minutes.
His points prop for the season opener is, of course, 21.5 points with the juice on the under. I think this is a value spot for Reaves, who has proven that he can meet the challenge at every stage of his career.
With the bright lights of Crypto.com Arena shining and the division rival Warriors on the other side of the court, I expect Reaves to put on a worthy performance in Game 1.
I like Reaves to go Over his points prop at 21.5 and would bet it at 22.5 as well.
The Pick: Austin Reaves Over 21.5 Points (-118, DraftKings)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
