James Worthy believes the Los Angeles Lakers star has the talent to rival LeBron James and Luka Donsic.
Over the past few years, the Los Angeles Lakers have had a dynamic duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, bringing their team to glory.
However, aside from the duo, the Lakers had very few good supporting cast. However, the Lakers have not had that problem in the 2024-25 NBA season.
First of all, the Lakers have turned the aging Davis overturned for 26-year-old Luka Donsic, one of the best players in the world. Most fans expected James and Donsic to take over, but what they didn’t expect was Austin Reeves’ rise as the team’s legal third star.
The Reaves continued their incredible run this season with a 23-point performance during the Lakers’ 140-109 win over the Houston Rockets.
After the game, the team’s legendary James Worthy greatly praised Reeves’s growth as the third star alongside the James Don Chick duo.
“He’s a problem. He’s a problem, he’s a threat. Usually, in the past, you might find more ball handlers today, but to be as good decision-makers as Luka and LeBron, the third guy can score, shoot, and draw a foul.
“I’m not going to say better than these two, but it’s just as good, he gets to the line.
In just a few years, Reaves has gone from an undrafted prospect to a key member of Purple and Gold. As worthy, Reaves’ decision-making makes him undoubtedly the best third choice in the league today.
The Lakers officially secure the third seed in the West in their recent victory, so the team must prepare for the 2025 postseason run.
Certainly, James and Don Sic take care of the business most nights, but whenever the Raves numbers were called out to win the Lakers in a tough stretch, the 26-year-old delivered.
With that in mind, Worthy believes devising a strategy to contain the Reaves will be a nightmare for head coaches on opposing teams to get into playoff time.
“It’s a problem and I don’t know how you prepare for it from a coaching perspective.
“He’s become a threat and focused on both ends. He’s faced accusations and makes wise decisions on the defensive side. Reeves has definitely arrived.”