Austin Reaves has been racking up points for the Los Angeles Lakers this season to establish himself as a key player.
When you play on a team alongside LeBron James and Luka Doncic, it is tough to stand out. Yet this season, Austin Reaves has made himself impossible to ignore.
Even before the Luka Doncic trade when Anthony Davis was on the LA Lakers roster, Austin Reaves was making his presence felt. Patrick Beverley described him as the best third option in the NBA.
This season Reaves has been averaging a career best 19.4 points per game, an increase from 15.9 the previous year.
Austin Reaves’ latest outing was in the Lakers’ 107-96 win over the Suns on March 16, where the team snapped a four-game losing streak.
Reaves contributed 28 points with 4 rebounds and 6 assists. And the rebounds helped him crack a remarkable milestone.
It means Reaves now has 1,000 rebounds for the Lakers since joining the team as an undrafted rookie in 2021.
And in doing so he joins a very elite group now consisting of two players, instead of only one.
Austin Reaves joins Magic Johnson as one of two Lakers players to hit at least 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists during his first four seasons with the team.
| Total Points | Total Rebounds | Total Assists | |
| Magic Johnson | 4,958 | 2,345 | 2,452 |
| Austin Reaves | 3,721 | 1,000 | 1,126 |
Via Stathead Basketball
There is a lot more to come from Austin Reaves, who is building chemistry with Luka Doncic for this new look Lakers team
Injuries have prevented LA from getting a fully healthy Reaves, James and Doncic on the court with consistency, and they will hope to get a run together before the end of the regular seasons.
Coach JJ Redick values him highly. Speaking back in January, he commented: “Austin is vital to us being able to touch the paint. He’s vital to us being able to get into the blender.”
Former star D’Angelo Russell recently praised Reaves, claiming he won’t be held back by the two superstars in front of him, lauding his former teammate as a ‘killer’.
Behind the scenes rookie Dalton Knecht has told how Reaves is his go-to guy for advice, showing how the star is having an impact beyond just the statistics he is putting up.
