The Los Angeles Lakers have two preseason games left before beginning what they hope will be a championship-contending season in 2023-24. They play Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, followed by the Phoenix Suns on Thursday of the following week. Austin Reaves, the Lakers’ guard, has a couple of missions for the final two games.

Reaves has had an incredible summer, signing a new four-year contract with the Lakers to stay with them for the foreseeable future before spending the latter half of the offseason with Team USA at the World Cup. He’s now back with the Lakers and fully committed to helping them compete for a championship.

He discussed what he hopes to accomplish for himself in the final two preseason games, as well as what he believes the team needs to accomplish during those two games.

“Number one is just to build team chemistry,” Reaves explained. “We have a lot of new guys who are going to play a lot of minutes for us, and it’s really just getting that unspoken chemistry with them, knowing exactly what we’re going to get to, how we’re going to play, and things like that.” But I played in the summer when the wind was good, and then I took a break. I’m fighting back right now. So I’m getting out there, running around, and playing hard to get back in top shape like I was in the summer.”

Regaining game shape and developing team chemistry are two intangibles that will help the Lakers go far this season. Reaves will be crucial to everything Los Angeles does in 2023-24, and it’s clear that his preseason priorities are on track.

Reaves’ team-first mentality is what makes his preseason technical foul call against the Golden State Warriors on Friday night so amusing. He was called for a technical foul on Stephen Curry at the 7:35 mark of the third quarter.

He explained what happened and apologized to the referee, despite the fact that he was unsure why he was called for the technical.

“I’m not sure. “That’s a great question,” Reaves said when asked how he obtained the technical. “No, I just felt like there was a similar play in the first quarter when I pump faked and tried to step through to shoot like a floater.” But when I spoke with the ref about it, he said it was two completely different plays, and that I fouled Steph (Curry) with my hands. It wasn’t because I jumped towards him. And I just asked him — he said it was going into a shooting motion, but I didn’t think people shot like that — and we talked it out, and, yeah, I’m not sure. My father texted me about it, and I apologized to the referee.”

Regardless of the ridiculous technical foul, Reaves is ready to assist the Lakers in their quest for the franchise’s 18th championship. And if he can get back into game shape in the final two preseason games, he will be at his most effective when the season begins.