Will Josh Reaves get a chance in Orlando to vindicate the #ReavesHive?

Josh Reaves appeared in just two NBA games his rookie season, getting a call up just after the new year where he played 1:26 in one game and just three seconds in the other. For the #ReavesHive, it was an all too brief an experience with a player that those invested in him hope can blossom into something more.

Where were they before the break?

The 22-year-old shooting guard spent the vast majority of his season with the Texas Legends where he was a regular part of their rotation, playing just over 30 minutes per game while averaging 13.7 points, five rebounds, 2.9 assists, and two steals.

Look, I’d be lying if I said I watched a single Legends game. There’s too much basketball to watch and I’m old. But I did see Reaves play last summer in Las Vegas. He’s a bit undersized for the kind of player he wants to be at the NBA level, which is a hard-nosed defender who can hit shots on the offensive end.

Key stat to know

33 percent. That’s the rate of threes Reaves hit in 212 attempts with the Legends. So the question of can Reaves hit shots is decidedly unanswered. It’s rather maddening too because he really is the kind of player who simply has a nose for the ball on defense.

However, given the longer distance of the NBA three compared to college, it’s heartening he hit at the clip he did in the G-League. Reaves was a career 32.4 percent three point shooter in college, hitting 38 and 36 percent from distance his junior and senior years. There’s something there with Reaves — whether he gets a chance to prove it at the NBA level is a different question.

Outlook for Orlando

If Reaves sees the floor, it will be for one of three reasons:

1. The Mavericks have secured the position they want in the final eight games before the playoffs.
2. The Mavericks have stumbled and simply want to get to the playoffs healthy and rested.
3. A drastic injury in the rotation.

Dallas has some truly weird five man line-up data due to injuries before the break, so a distant part of my brain hopes Reaves gets minutes just for the hilarity of the situation. Rick Carlisle is a warlock, you know.

It seems unlikely though, so the Reaves fans may want to soak up his moments in a Dallas uniform. Given his age and the limits of the Maverick roster in coming seasons, this may be his best chance to make an impact with the Mavericks.