Despite going undrafted Austin Reaves is proving to the LA Lakers he was worth taking a shot at, he’s impacting the team on and off the court.
Reaves played an important role in the side’s recent hammering of the Washington Wizards in the 96-134 win.
The 26-year-old dropped 17 points, six rebounds and five assists to complement the usual strong scoring of LeBron James who top-scored with 24.
While Reaves has now become an embedded member of the Lakers side and a key part in their recent strong performances he is now looking to help the new rookie in Dalton Knecht.
Knecht was selected with the 17th overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA draft and at 6ft 6in will be a physical presence on the court.
The forward is slowly being bedded in by coach JJ Redick but he is still averaging 20 minutes per game in his rookie year, much more than Reaves was given in his debut season.
Recent reports suggested that the Lakers had not planned to select Knecht in the draft but given his 24-point performance against the Philadelphia 76ers recently they will be glad they picked him.
Very few players at the height of Knecht are known for their athleticism but Reaves has highlighted how he is ‘jealous’ of the youngster’s ability.
Speaking on The Young Men and The Three, Knecht said: “He can get to the rim, he’s athletic. I’m jealous every day I see him go dunk one and I’m like ‘man I wish I could go do that.’
“His shot-making is very high off of screens, he’s 6′ 8″ and has a pretty high release, I’ve seen how hot he can get from three.”
Coming into the NBA in your rookie season is never easy, but playing for a team with as many eyes on it as the Lakers makes it even tougher.
Knecht has faced criticism throughout this season from the Lakers fans for his lack of scoring, the star is currently averaging 9.5 points per game.
Reaves, now in his fourth season with the Lakers, has been looking to pass on some key advice to his teammate.
Asked what advice he has given Knecht, he said: “Really just to be him, he’s a hooper at heart, he knows how to get a bucket. If anything it’s more about how to be effective defensively, knowing angles, sacrificing your body.
“He’s on an elite level when he’s shooting the ball confidently and not thinking about it.”
Reaves and the Lakers will be hoping to get the best out of what is an undoubted talent in Knecht for the remainder of the season.
