Austin praised his coach JJ Reddick after the La Lakers beat the Houston Rockets.
The team led by Luka Doncic’s 39-point performance took over the Houston Rockets as they secured a 140-109 victory and scored the third seed in the Western Conference.
The Austin Raves also had a great evening as they added 23 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists on efficient 60% shooting from the field.
The victory meant that La Lakers had 50 wins. This is what Purple and Gold achieved last time when they won the championship in 2020.
Bringing in as head coach in the offseason, Redick has come a long way and has made a significant improvement to his team, particularly on the defensive side of the floor.
The most improved player award frontrunner, Reaves also raised his game under Redick, giving his freshman coach a lot of praise after the victory.
The decision to bring Reddick as the Lakers head coach was not a popular one.
Many analysts doubted their choice as former NBA players had no professional coaching experience.
However, Redick has proven that all his critics are wrong, and his side is one of the most dangerous aspects heading into the playoffs.
Speaking of Redick, Reaves said: “When the Lakers hired him, I had spoken to him a few times before, so I knew the IQ in his game, but obviously there was all the talk of him never coaching at any type of high level.
“From the first day he is very professional and very locked up in one goal, which makes the team buy what the coaching staff want, so he is a big presence in what we did and I can’t trust enough what he did for me.
Given the fact that Redick has never coached at a high level before, the 50-win achievement is special for a former player.
The Lakers are one of the most talked about teams in the league, and coaching them is pressure from all directions.
However, Redick was doing well to manage the pressure and made the most of every player on his team.
Not only did he get the best players on the team, but LeBron James, Reeves and Donsic played well, but Jordan Goodwin, Jarrred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent and Dorian Finney Smith also flourished under him.
The Lakers have a great roster and look like the beat side in the West. If that happens, Reddick can have one of the best rookie seasons for coaches in NBA history.