Austin Reaves is well in line to become the next unlikely fan favorite of the Los Angeles Lakers. The rise of Alex Caruso through the 2018 season to his role on the 2020 championship squad made Caruso a cult favorite in LA, so his departure in 2021 hurt many fans. However, a similar archetype of a player was signed by the Lakers to replace Caruso in Austin Reaves.
While Reaves is a rougher prospect than Caruso, he has shown tremendous development and become a part of the Lakers rotation. He’s showing off his skill set in the preseason, having games with 9 assists, a reliable jump shot, and a nasty dribble move on Stephen Curry that had Lakers fans going wild on Twitter.
Preseason or not, Austin Reaves COOKED Steph on this play 😅🔥 pic.twitter.com/Ut33W6oppK
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) October 10, 2022
Austin Reaves cooks Curry with no stove. pic.twitter.com/7vqZyScMER
— The Pettiest Laker Fan 🤫 (@ThePettiestLA) October 10, 2022
Ooooohh the gravity man fans won't like this
— Curry Cheeks 💦 (@FrontRunSteph) October 10, 2022
Reeves is invited to the bbq
— Dez (@youngbullHBC) October 10, 2022
Curry stans: Steph is a great defender
While guarding Austin Hillbilly Reaves: pic.twitter.com/jWp6OvNxRI
— 🏆LakersGuru🏆 (@GuruLakers) October 10, 2022
Owned by a sophomore 💀
— Podcast P (@sIaterrrr) October 10, 2022
Get Steph a map ! #LakeShow https://t.co/9YZhKH3t20
— SJ (@IAmSandrina_J) October 10, 2022
https://twitter.com/RichBrokeSean/status/1579288388217507840
Austin putting dudes in jail and finishing through contact. Can see his confidence on ball screens continue to grow.
— Raj C. (@RajChipalu) October 10, 2022
Austin Reaves put Curry in the popcorn machine lol https://t.co/Qhbdy9VK8a
— 𝓛𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓓𝔂𝓷𝓪𝓼𝓽𝔂 (@LakersDynastyLD) October 10, 2022
Not Reaves schooling Curry and Looney. pic.twitter.com/NVhDc7UPWh
— Homegirls and Handgrenades🌈🍉🇵🇸 (@ItsLithaAfter9) October 10, 2022
It’s preseason and Curry has never been a top-tier defender, so this play isn’t reflective of a larger shift in paradigm. It is something that Laker fans should be excited for as Reaves is showing that he has improved over the offseason and his contributions will be crucial in LA’s bid to return to the top.
Why Is Austin Reaves LA’s X Factor?
Reaves has been expected to be the Lakers starting shooting guard alongside whichever guard they choose out of their rotation. While that role can’t be set in stone due to the promising performances from Kendrick Nunn and Russell Westbrook, Reaves will definitely keep his spot on the rotation as a versatile defender and floor spacer.
Austin isn’t a consistent shooter yet, so that role might be hard for him to fulfill. What he fits to a tee is the Lakers’ new ethos of giving it a 100%, which Reaves has done since the day he got the opportunity to be on the Lakers. If he can insert himself into the guard or wing rotation as a 3-and-D threat who can also be a secondary playmaker, he’ll be the answer for many of LA’s lineup combinations.
Reaves can have a breakout season with the opportunity in LA. The only question is can he deliver consistently over 82 games to ensure the Lakers are a playoff team? That remains to be seen.
