Reeves chance has come! When James was absent last season, Reeves averaged 28 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists per game.

The preseason of the new season is underway. Although the Lakers have played two preseason games, neither James nor Doncic has played yet. Doncic will not play in the preseason because he participated in the European Cup this summer and consumed too much. James, on the other hand, did not play in the preseason games or participate in team training because of an injury.

According to the latest news, in addition to missing the preseason, James will also miss at least 3 to 4 weeks due to sciatica on his right side. This means that James will not only miss the regular season opener against the Warriors, but also miss 5 to 10 games at the beginning of the regular season.

The Lakers will usher in the regular season opener on October 22. Their opponent is the Warriors. Everyone originally expected to see Zhanku battle again, but with James absent due to injury, we can only watch the duel between Doncic and Curry. For James, this is also the first time in his career that he has missed the opening game of the regular season. James has played in 22 consecutive opening games and averaged 25.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game.

In the 22 seasons before this, James always started the new season in a healthy state, so he never missed an opening game. But in the 23rd season of his career, James failed to stay healthy and missed the opening game. This shows that James' physical condition has indeed declined somewhat, and whether he can remain healthy in the new season is also a question mark.

It is worth mentioning that James was selected to the best second team last season. He also has the strength to hit the best team in the new season. However, due to injury at the beginning of the season, James will be unable to meet the minimum appearance requirement of 65 games. Even if he performs very well, he will not be included in the best team.

Although James' absence will cause some trouble for the Lakers, fortunately they still have Doncic leading the team, so there won't be much trouble. James' absence will not only increase the burden on Doncic's shoulders, but also give Reeves more opportunities to perform. During James' absence last season, Reeves performed at a superstar level, averaging 27.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game, with three shooting percentages of 49%, 43% and 91%.

If Reeves still maintains this level in James' absence in the new season, he will hope to be selected as an All-Star together with Doncic and James. Although Reeves is unlikely to produce such data when James plays, his performance should still be outstanding.