As a team full of older guys and veterans, 24-year-old Austin Reaves is the odd man out in Los Angeles. After going undrafted in 2021, the Lakers called him up and offered him the chance to prove himself on a two-way contract.
Out of the gate, nobody was expecting much from the young shooting guard, but he has exploded into a major contributor for the Lakers and is even expected to start alongside LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis this season.
From what I’ve been told, he was penciled in as the starting shooting guard next to Russ. A few weeks ago, I did a story on the Lakers’ projected depth chart and talked to a few people around the organization. I’m going to update that and gather more intel on where Pat slides in. He’s always been a starter. I guess, on paper, now you’re probably starting Pat and Russ. I think it’s a bit of a small backcourt. If Russ is on the opening night roster, he’s most likely starting. I don’t see him going for coming off the bench.
Either way, Austin’s going to have a big role on this team. He’s such a smart player. The one player he’s consistently referenced that he’s modeled his game after is Joe Ingles… He’s someone who’s a Jack of all trades and can do everything at least at a competent level. That’s something that can be hard to find. He’s a guy who doesn’t have an ego and is always looking for the betterment of his team and teammates. He’s a selfless guy. He really is going to be a key for this team. He’s someone I think can be a starter or high-end bench player. I think they really uncovered something with him. He’s similar to an Alex Caruso that they should look to retain moving forward.
Last season, his first as a pro, he averaged 7.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game on 31% shooting from downtown. While those numbers are far from amazing, it’s pretty solid for a rookie, especially one playing on a team full of veterans.
If Reaves shows improvement and steps up as the shooter/scorer the Lakers need him to be, it could reap huge rewards for both him and the Lakeshow.
Let’s just hope their confidence in him does not go unanswered.
