Lakers guard Austin Reaves has displayed tremendous signs of growth in his third season. Now, his standout scoring has landed him on a list with NBA stars.
Austin Reaves’s Scoring Puts Him in Elite Company
The List
According to data compiled by Synergy’s Todd Whitehead, Reaves is the 14th most efficient on-ball scorer, which considers players who score “as the ball-handler on picks, isos, post-ups, and in transition.”
Most efficient on-ball scorers in the NBA this season. pic.twitter.com/NqH2sRUfua
— Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) April 14, 2024
It’s worth noting that Reaves has averaged the same Points Per Possession as De’Aaron Fox and Damian Lillard. His numbers are also not far behind Kyrie Irving, Paul George, or even two-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
Austin Reaves up here with the best scorers in the league 👀 pic.twitter.com/mErI5TOVdn
— 𝐉𝐚𝐤𝐞 (@SixthManJake) April 14, 2024
Bunch of max and supermax contract guys and Austin Reaves who’s making 12M per #Lakeshow https://t.co/r7PR2c3l7W
— Ralph Mason (@Ralph_MasonJr) April 14, 2024
Seeing Reaves on here has many fans doing a double take, given the other names on this list. However, it’s a true testament to his improvement this year, and an encouraging sign heading into the playoffs.
Breaking Down Reaves’s Scoring
Reaves is one of the Lakers’ iron men this season. He has appeared in all of the team’s games so far, averaging 15.8 points on .484/.366/.856 splits. He may not have the same resume as the more illustrious names in that category, but he’s found success as a third or fourth option on the Lakers this season.
Reaves has made 151 threes so far—second only to record-breaker D’Angelo Russell (251). He is also third in two-pointers made (298) and fourth in total field goals (449). To date, the young guard has had 20 games scoring 20 points or more, a significant jump from the ten he had last season. He has done all of this while shifting between the two guard slots, taking on increased responsibility as a ball-handler but delivering every time. All of these are signs that Reaves has made it a point to be more aggressive, which has only helped the team as they’ve gone through the trials of this season.
A Sign of Things to Come?
With the playoffs fast approaching, Reaves’s stellar offense is certainly promising. The Lakers will need all the help they can get as they battle out of the Play-in and hope to repeat their run from last year. Though all eyes are focused on LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Reaves has shown he can be a threat, too. His impressive run in last year’s playoffs showed just that. Regardless of how far the Lakers go, Reaves will make his impact known every game. His presence will be vital as the team continues to deal with injuries and matches up against teams with red-hot scorers in their own right.
Reaves’s production was also a key factor in the Lakers keeping him out of trade talks for star guards. Even as those conversations persist into this summer, there’s little chance their stance on Reaves has changed, and he’ll stay a Laker unless drastic moves are made.
The Last Word
Austin Reaves has continued to impress in his time as a Laker. Being on a list with such elite company only adds to his case as a rising star in this league.
