Johnny Bus, the Los Angeles Lakers Governor, loves what this player does for his team.
For the first time since the 2019-20 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers were able to realistically close their campaign with at least 50 wins.
Purple and Gold play very well in the second half of the season, and the key reason behind it is the rise of Austin Reeves.
Initially, Reaves were awarded minutes after the trade of D’Angelo Russell. Since then, JJ Redick and Reaves head coaches have not looked back as they now hold the third seed in the Western Conference.
It is very rare to find a talented third scoring option equally proficient in other roles in court. That’s what the AR15 does with the Lakers every night.
The cherry blossom above is the fact that Reaves were hunted by the Lakers Scouts Division as the 26-year-old was not drafted. Now he has become a tool part of the organization.
Team owner Johnny Bass feels “lucky” to put his caliber players on the roster.
“He plays the game, fights for all the ball, sacrifices his body. When you see someone like that, you’re forced to draw them and cheer them on. Bass told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“And he’s been that from day one… he’s been proven himself over and over again… We’re lucky to have him.”
For the team that houses LeBron James and Luca Donsic, Bass’ admiration should be enough to prove how talented he is.
He has consistently proven his suspects wrong and is now marching towards the third NBA postseason of his career with the Lakers.
Before the All-Star break, the Reaves had 19.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game for the Lakers.
Despite adding a generation of scorers like Doncic to the roster, the Reaves have risen to scorers since the All-Star break. The Lakers Star averaged 22.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
Additionally, the AR15 has also seen bumps in his shooting rates. In 23 games since the All-Star break, the Reaves shot 48.0% from the field and 40.0% from the three-point line.
Finally, as Bass mentioned, Reaves are not afraid to go all-in for play, even at the expense of some bruises on the floor. That team-first mentality is why even the best defensive team out there makes him a dangerous matchup.