Copyright Athlon Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers might be without Luka Doncic and LeBron James — two of the biggest names in the NBA, but they aren’t totally without hope. Oklahoma product Austin Reaves has stepped into stardom with the expanded opportunity. The fifth-year pro is enjoying, hands down, his best season in the association, averaging 34.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 10.0 assists per game, albeit in a short sample size. Will the numbers hold? Probably not, but Reaves is certainly making a statement with his play. He’s capable of leading a team as both a scorer and playmaker. Now, when Doncic and James return to the hardwood, Reaves’ on-paper statistics will dip, but the Lakers know what they have in the guard. Most recently, Reaves scored 28 points and dished 16 assists while shooting 9-of-24 from the field. It wasn’t his finest game in the box score this season, but he made a game-winner as the Lakers took down the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-115 on Wednesday night. Kendrick Perkins doesn’t mince words about Reaves after game-winner Reaves has been dominating headlines recently. Scoring 92 points in a two-day stretch will do that for a player. But even with a poor shooting game, greatness was shown, according to ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins. What impressed the NBA champion the most about Reaves? “Everything. … I saw greatness last night,” Perkins claimed. For a team that already has Doncic and James on roster, more greatness is a strong recipe for success. Now the biggest question turns to whether or not Lakers head coach JJ Redick can blend the talent enough to build a legitimate contender. They had a strong finish last season after acquiring Doncic, which was one of the biggest storylines in the history of professional sports. Reaves isn’t unfamiliar with playing third-fiddle. He’s done it with James and Anthony Davis. He’ll do it with Doncic and James, but it’ll be different this time around. The Lakers, 3-2 on the season, will be a real threat in the Western Conference when fully healthy. They have +1500 odds to win the NBA title this season. The Oklahoma City Thunder, of course, are a buzzsaw. The Denver Nuggets are still a contending squad. Who knows what Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs will be doing by April. But the Lakers, with Reaves playing at this level, will have the opportunity to rival those teams to come out of the West.
