The Los Angeles Lakers have spent most of the season navigating a revolving door of lineups, with LeBron James missing 16 games and Luka Doncic sidelined for six. That instability has opened the door for Austin Reaves to showcase exactly how far he has come.
From a pair of explosive outings, 44 points against Toronto and 36 against Boston, to becoming one of the leagues most reliable scorers, the 27-year-old has played himself into All-Star consideration.
But despite the monster numbers hes putting up whenever his co-stars are unavailable, Reaves made it clear he prefers having Doncic beside him. Reaves explained just how much easier the game becomes with the Slovenian superstar on the floor.
The game is much easier when he is out there, so hurry back. But, congrats to you, Reaves said via NBA on Prime. Like I said, try to play the game the right way. Obviously when he is out there, he draws so much attention along with LeBron that Im able to be a secondary playmaker and play advantage basketball. Then when he is not out there just try and be aggressive and give ourselves the best opportunity to win.
Now in his 5th season, Reaves has evolved into one of the Lakers most important pieces, not just a scorer, but a player who adapts to whatever the night requires. Through 19 games, he is averaging more than 29.3 points on an elite 52.5 percent from the field. When Doncic sits, those numbers skyrocket to 40 points per game on 51.4 percent shooting.
Reaves mindset remains the same regardless of the role: win first, shots second. His admiration extends to James as well, especially after LeBron passed up a shot against Toronto to preserve the best possible outcome, a Rui Hachimura buzzer-beater, instead of chasing a scoring streak. Reaves later tipped his hat to James for prioritizing victory over milestones.
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