With LeBron James sidelined to start the season and Luka Doncic missing several games of his own, the Lakers needed someone to steady the offense. Austin Reaves has done far more than that. The 5th-year guard has taken a full leap into All-Star territory, carrying Los Angeles through long stretches and emerging as one of the league’s most reliable second options.
Even with James now back in the lineup, Reaves has not let go of that expanded role. He is averaging career-highs across the board and continues to cement himself as one of the most important players in the NBA. And no one has had a closer view of Reaves’ evolution than LeBron himself.
James shared exactly why Reaves has thrived in this moment and why the franchise trusts him with such a large workload.
“AR has picked up exactly where he left off of, the confidence,” James said on the latest episode of the Mind The Game podcast with Steve Nash. “He’s also healthier this year than he was last year and I know he sat out a couple games this year, but last year he was dealing with a toe issue late in the season. So he came into this season a lot healthier, but also just the confidence. Understanding that his role is gonna continue to pick up. More usage rate, more responsibility, he’s not just one of the guys he’s one of the guys you know on our team. He wants that responsibility so I think the coaching staff and JJ knew it wasn’t too far fetched to give him more responsibility and he’s just taking full advantage of it. The guy is a, he plays golf and he plays basketball, that’s him. He has time and he puts the work in and then he goes on the golf course and clears his mind, and then he plays basketball and then he clears his mind. And I think the guy is just, he’s just a great dude and I’m so happy for all his success so far.”
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