Force James to retire? The Lakers general’s words are thought-provoking, don’t let Pelinka give up on you first

In the opening game against the Warriors, Reeves made 9 of 16 shots and scored 26 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists. Looking at the data alone, it does look like the second-in-command of the Lakers. But in terms of specific details:

1. The crucial third quarter was 0-for-3 from the field;

2. The shooting percentages of the main defense against Podemski and the assist defense against Curry and Butler were no less than 50%.

Potentially, Reeves' statistics in the opening game were good but they did not help the team win much. Speaking of which, Doncic made 6 of 9 shots from the field in the crucial third quarter. Looking at this, Reeves is still far behind according to his core level. To be precise, I lack the ability to withstand stress.

It's still related to Reeves.

According to NBA China official website: When talking about James, Reeves said that if he were Lao James, he might retire now.

How should we understand Reeves's words?

I think it's very intriguing. To be precise, it can be understood as having two meanings:

1. To pay tribute to James, implying that Reeves cannot reach the age of 41;

2. To force James to retire.

Relatively speaking, the second point is more likely. After all, if this is the case, Niffs will be the second in charge of the team. What's more important is that he will be more confident to ask for a big contract from Pelinka next summer.

In fact, in my opinion, it is unknown whether James will retire now, but Pelinka still has the possibility of trading Reeves.

Reason 1: Demand. As mentioned just now, in the third quarter of the opening game against the Warriors, the Lakers players except Doncic had no role at all. The subtext: "Lake Three Collapse" appeared again. From this perspective, the Lakers still need reinforcements.

Reinforcement, what leverage do the Lakers have?

Obviously, the most valuable player at this stage is Reeves.

Reason 2: The lion opens his mouth widely. We all know that Reeves rejected the Lakers' four-year, nearly $90 million early contract extension this summer. Subsequent reports indicated that Reeves was seeking a contract with an average salary of $35 million.

Not to mention whether Pelinka will give it, the problem is that Reeves has obvious shortcomings:

1. The defensive end is limited by his size, which is stronger but limited than Trae Young's;

2. After evolving from a single end point in the past to a combo guard with both finishing and series, he has basically hit the ceiling.

Relatively speaking, the second point is the main reason.

First of all, if the price is right, the Lakers will definitely renew Reeves' contract, but the problem is that the latter is not satisfied with a "small contract." This makes Pelinka feel very uncomfortable:

——Giving a big contract, there is a risk of a premium in the future;

—Giving a small contract, but he is afraid that he will not be able to retain people.

Secondly, Kessler and the Jazz, Ethan and the Rockets have not reached an early contract extension, which are all reinforcement goals for the Lakers.

To sum up, if Reeves is always open to the Lions, then it is not ruled out that Pelinka will trade (give up) Reeves if a suitable reinforcement target such as Kessler appears.