• Austin Reaves’ success for Team USA is a great sign for Laker fans
• Reaves scored 11 crucial points off the bench in Team USA’s 98-88 win over Spain
• Fans showered Reaves with praise for his skillset ahead of the tournament beginning
Basketball is back! Well, not exactly, as the NBA is still two months away. In the meantime, fans are glued to the action at the FIBA World Cup, where Team USA just won their third friendly game in a row by beating Spain 98-88.
Austin Reaves ended the game with 11 points, providing some crucial buckets off the bench to help Team USA remain undefeated in FIBA World Cup friendlies. Reaves’ impact on the game at a time Team USA was struggling in the game caused Laker fans to go crazy.
AUSTIN REAVES is HIM 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/PX92vGi70E
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) August 13, 2023
Kyle Kuzma couldn’t help but praise what Reaves was doing on the court.
AR is such a good basketball player
— kuz (@kylekuzma) August 13, 2023
Fans loved what Tyrese Haliburton and Austin Reaves were doing as the bench backcourt.
Really enjoying this Hali x Reaves second unit back court pic.twitter.com/lVQHuPpHGj
— Raj C. (@RajChipalu) August 14, 2023
Lakers fans used the performance to remind everyone that Reaves is as good as advertised, if not better.
https://twitter.com/jay_pea619/status/1690862218865242113
More fans used the performance to mock people that hate on Reaves.
If you need any further confirmation that Twitter isn’t real, Watch how the NBA twitterverse completely redacts/denies that Austin Reaves was the catalyst that changed today’s game for Team USA
Ppl are going to continue to open this app, see only what they want to see & believe…
— 🏆LakersGuru🏆 (@GuruLakers) August 13, 2023
Watching Reaves excel in a non-Lakers setting made fans extremely excited.
I thought Austin Reaves triggered the 3rd quarter run vs. Spain with the sequence where he hit Mikal on the cut, hit the tough pull-up two, then forced the turnover fronting the post leading to the runout bucket.
Glad he’s getting some non-Lakers exposure. He’s so damn good…
— Jason Timpf (@_JasonLT) August 13, 2023
Fans compared Reaves’ performance in 2023 against Spain to what Kobe Bryant did in 2008.
In 2008, struggling to gain separation from Spain-
Team USA turned to Kobe.
In 2023 (& onward), in a similar position against Span-
Team USA turns to (Hill-Billy) Kobe.
Austin Reaves 🤫
pic.twitter.com/LhIF5njkcU
— Lakers Legacy (@LakersLegacyPod) August 13, 2023
Reaves wasn’t the star, as Jalen Brunson went 9/9 and scored 21 points in the best performance of the night. Reaves is craving out a nice primary sixth-man role for the team, impacting the game off the bench consistently within the FIBA rules.
A ‘Most Improved Player’ Season On The Cards For Austin Reaves
If Austin Reaves leaves the tournament without an injury, he’s going to come into training camp looking to be the defined third option behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the Lakers. Reaves really is the perfect guard the Lakers have been wanting next to James and AD, and it’s time to let him shoulder the load alongside the two stars.
Reaves doesn’t need to average 20+ points to make an impact on the game, even 18-19 points on volume shooting could work given Reaves is relatively efficient. He ended last season by putting his full skills on display, averaging 21.3 points, and 3.5 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in the Lakers Conference Finals loss to the Nuggets.
If Reaves can bring that offensive touch into the season while improving his one-on-one defense, the Lakers will be grinning. A strong Lakers season requires Reaves to be a major contributor on both ends.
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