Austin Reaves shone once again as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs 125-109 at Crypto.com Arena on Monday. Reaves put on an offensive clinic against the Spurs with another 30-point outing and his teammate Jordan Goodwin had some high praise for him postgame.
“I always liked AR,” Goodwin said. “… He’s our 3rd option, but he’s better than most 1’s, most 2’s in the league. So, we gotta keep on putting respect on AR’s name ’cause he’s him. He’s one of the ones.”
Goodwin, who had 15 points (6-9 FG), four rebounds, three assists, three steals, and a block against the Spurs, stated he knew Reaves was special as he had to guard him in recent years. He sure must be glad he doesn’t have to worry about that anymore.
Reaves torched the Spurs here to finish with 30 points (12-21 FG), seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals as the Lakers improved to 42-25. Over the last four games, the 26-year-old is averaging 30.8 points while shooting 52.9% from the field and 42.5% from beyond the arc.
With LeBron James going down with a groin injury in a game against the Boston Celtics earlier this month, the Lakers needed Reaves to step up. He has done just that and to his credit, he has risen to the occasion whenever James has been out this season.
Coming into this contest against the Spurs, Reaves had averaged 28.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists in games LeBron had missed. It’s somewhat of a small sample size, but when he has been tasked with carrying the team, he has put up big numbers.
While Goodwin went overboard by claiming that Reaves is better than most first and second options in the NBA, there is no denying that he is a very good player. He is certainly in the conversation for the best third option in the league and could well be at the top of that list.
A Western Conference scout reportedly stated in Dec. 2024 that the Lakers cannot win a title with Reaves as their third-best player. It didn’t seem like an outlandish claim at the time but the guard is now silencing all those who doubted him.
Luka Doncic Cannot Believe Austin Reaves Went Undrafted
Goodwin wasn’t the only Laker singing Reaves’ praises after the game. Luka Doncic was asked about the guard postgame, and he still can’t quite understand how he went undrafted.
“I mean this guy just scored 30 in his fourth game in five days,” Doncic said. “That explains everything. He’s an amazing player. For him to go undrafted is unbelievable. And it’s not easy to go undrafted and then play at this level. It’s amazing to just be by his side.”
Well, Reaves actually could have been drafted if he wanted to. He revealed that he had told the Detroit Pistons not to select him with the 42nd pick of the 2021 NBA Draft. The Milwaukee Bucks were his preferred landing spot, with the Lakers being second on the list.
Just days after the draft, Reaves was able to go to one of his preferred destinations, as the Lakers signed him to a two-way deal in August 2021. Less than two months later, he was given a standard NBA contract.
Reaves has gone from strength to strength over time and has now become a key piece for the Lakers. He will be looking to lead them to their third straight win when they take on the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday at 10 PM ET.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
