- Austin Reaves opened up on LeBron James trusting him
- Reaves recounted a moment from Game 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies
- Many believe Reaves can be a future star for the Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers made the Western Conference Finals in the 2023 playoffs, with their run being spearheaded by LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The run also saw the emergence of Austin Reaves, who is now considered by many to be the third-best player on the team.
Throughout this season, we saw Austin Reaves continuously get more responsibility on the Lakers, with LeBron James notably willing to share ballhandling duties with Reaves. When speaking to Zach Lowe on The Lowe Post Podcast, Reaves explained how he earned James’ trust.
“There was no real conversation like off the court or anything. I always knew that from day one we connected on an IQ level. Thinking the game differently than other people do.”
“The one that stood out to me… in the playoffs, Game 1 against Memphis. When I had a really good fourth quarter… I was on the left side, and I just meant to run the floor… me going to running the floor, and I hear LeBron yell ‘AR, come back’, and he just tosses me the ball… come down hit the three… from that point forward, I could tell the trust level was even more than what I knew it was at that point.” (11:42)
There is no doubt that bonds between players rely on trust, especially in the playoffs. It is clear that James respects Reaves’ game, and it’ll be interesting to see how they will continue to build their connection going forward.
In the playoffs, Austin Reaves averaged 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game for the Los Angeles Lakers while shooting 44.3% from 3PT range. He is one of the best role players on the team right now, and we’ll see just how well he does next season.
Many People Have High Expectations For Austin Reaves
It is fair to say that Austin Reaves impressed many people with his performances in the playoffs for the Los Angeles Lakers. He flashed his ability to handle the ball, shoot the 3, and create his own shot in the postseason, and it is easy to see why many people are excited about the player he could be. In fact, Lakers coach Darvin Ham previously said that Austin Reaves will be an All-Star very soon.
Though Austin Reaves may not end up making the All-Star team in a stacked Western Conference, he is definitely a young player who still has some room to grow. The first step will obviously be keeping up his playoff production over the course of an entire season, and solidifying his status as a No. 3 option for the Los Angeles Lakers. Hopefully, he is able to do so next season.
Austin Reaves Got A Max Contract From The Lakers This Offseason
This summer, Austin Reaves returned to the Los Angeles Lakers on a four-year, $56 million deal. There is no doubt that this is a bargain for the Lakers, as an average annual salary of around $14 million is definitely less than what a player like Reaves should be paid for his production and skill set.
Next season, the Los Angeles Lakers will need Austin Reaves to play at a high level to win the championship. Their willingness to pay him shows their belief in him, and Reaves seems ready to step up and be a big part of the team’s success.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
