The Los Angeles Lakers will resume the 2025-26 campaign on Friday against the L.A. Clippers with guard Austin Reaves back at full strength and out of his minutes restriction, the team confirmed after Thursday’s practice.
Reaves, who missed more than a month with a calf strain before returning just ahead of the All-Star break, said the time off allowed him to reset physically and mentally. “It feels great,” he told reporters. “We still have some time to get on-court reps with our full group and that’s exciting. Today was a good first step in kicking off these 28 games, so very excited.”
The 27-year-old guard noted that building on-court continuity remains crucial, particularly alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James. “You have those games from last year, but obviously you still have a learning curve of how to play alongside one another and that’s with everybody else on the team as well,” Reaves said. “Just continuing to build that continuity and confidence and every single possession we’re locked in with five guys that are on the court.”
Injuries have limited shared minutes for much of the roster, but the Lakers enter the season’s stretch run with a clean bill of health. Practice opportunities will be scarce: the schedule features at least one game every other day through the end of March, making in-game reps the primary avenue for developing rhythm.
Reaves, already an All-Star in his fourth season, reiterated that his ultimate goal is to deliver another championship to Los Angeles. With the roster finally intact, the Lakers believe consistent play on both ends of the floor can put them back into serious playoff contention.
Source: LakersNation.com
