Undrafted when leaving Oklahoma, Austin Reaves began his NBA career in anonymity. A little over a year ago, during the Lakers’ last regular season game last season, he had however signed his first stroke of brilliance: a first career triple-double on the floor of Denver with 31 points. , 16 rebounds and 10 assists, allowing his family to close a cataclysmic season on a spark.
Since then, he has continued to progress and took on a whole new dimension after the All-Star Break, when LeBron James was injured. He thus began to chain very good performances, until achieving his career high with 35 points in a victory against the Magic. A success that allowed the Lakers at the time to still believe in a qualification for the play-in. Despite LeBron James’ return from injury, he has established himself as a potential starter, and he is now clearly Los Angeles’ third offensive option.
“It’s been a long journey, I didn’t have a lot of offers when I left high school. I went to Wichita State for two years and then transferred to Oklahoma where I really had the opportunity to be myself and show what I could do” says Austin Reaves. “Then I signed a two-way contract at the beginning with the Lakers and then I started to build from there. One Sunday, my contract was guaranteed. Since then I have only worked in the gym to try and improve at my craft and I think it shows today”.
Confirmation in the playoffs
While the playoffs might have been too high a step for a player playing only his second season in the league and who only recently became an important player for his club, Austin Reaves proved the opposite. During his very first playoff meeting, against the Grizzlies, he scored 23 points at 8/13 shooting, giving the Lakers victory with a boss’s “money time”. Outside, please.
During the second round of the playoffs against the Warriors, he did not return well to his series by passing through the first three meetings. Then he set the sights on the next three games where he shot 19.7 points, 5 assists and 4.7 rebounds at 58.8% from 3-point range!
“I love the playoffs, I was telling LeBron in the last series that I’ve never felt so much fun playing basketball in my entire life” enthused Austin Reaves. “You know, the stakes are really high and that’s what you live for.”
During Game 6 which sealed the qualification of the Lakers against the Warriors, Austin Reaves once again responded with 23 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds at 7/12 shooting including 4/5 from 3-pointers, with at pass a huge shot from his own half of the field at the buzzer of the second quarter!
Emotion during qualification
“We have great confidence in Austin” says Anthony Davis. “He has great self-confidence as well. He wants to take important shots. He puts them. The coach always tells us that a lot of guys try not to mess up their percentage and therefore don’t take this kind of shot, but he always tells us to try because you never know what will happen. But tonight he scored points at the right time. Not just tonight though, throughout the series, during the last series as well, and throughout the season. He found his rhythm. He plays well. We will definitely need him in the next series”.
The next series will face the Nuggets in the conference final, with a ticket for the NBA Finals at stake. A new great first for Austin Reaves, who savors every moment.
“Oh, it’s special, like I said, my brother is there, my mother is there… I can’t really explain it” concludes Austin Reaves. “But you know, it wasn’t a feeling that brings you to tears, but the emotion when we (the starters) were substituted, three minutes from the end, it was very special”.
| Austin Reaves | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2021-22 | ALL | 61 | 23 | 45.9 | 31.7 | 83.9 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 7.3 |
| 2022-23 | ALL | 64 | 29 | 52.9 | 39.8 | 86.4 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 13.0 |
| Total | 125 | 26 | 50.1 | 36.3 | 85.6 | 0.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 10.2 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
