Five years in, Austin Reaves has already exceeded expectations. An undrafted player like Reaves was supposed to be competing for a roster spot with the Los Angeles Lakers, carve out a decent NBA career, and perhaps even try his luck abroad when the NBA chapter comes to a close. But, he has blown past that typecasted role. 

Reaves has thrived with the Lakers, endearing himself to the city with his improving play and weekly appearances on highlight reels. This did not go unnoticed outside of Los Angeles, as he even earned a spot on Team USA for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. 

This season, though, Reaves has once again taken it up a notch. 

Reaves has been on a tear offensively, as he’s averaging a career high in points per game (23.6), doing so with great efficiency (53.9/44.4/86.5 shooting splits). The shooting percentages were more video-game-esque early on, but these numbers are nonetheless elevated. Defenses have become more attuned to the Arkansas native, but he has nonetheless gotten better at adjusting to what the defense has given him. 

Playing with Luka Doncic has not been a hindrance to his game, as both Reaves and Doncic have fed off one another. In fact, both have even developed a friendship that has been effective on the court and blossomed off it. 

While last season was also a big year numbers-wise for Reaves, he only played in 51 games due to calf and oblique injuries. That’s the lowest number of games he’s played in his career, but it’s more likely than not that the Lakers will give the 28-year old maintenance days the way they have done with Doncic. 

Rather than longevity, Reaves may just have to address the defensive deficiencies that tend to be put on the spotlight during the postseason. He has often been targeted on defense and not only does it result in points for the opponent, but it can also wear out Reaves and render his offense ineffective. 

The regular season will provide ample opportunity to address that and the renewed vigor with Los Angeles’ 6-2 start as of this writing should help him play inspired defense. 

With the way he’s playing, Reaves could very well earn his very first All-Star nod. His play has elevated once again, and Reaves is largely responsible for the Lakers’ strong start. 

It’s not a perfect campaign by any means (Is there even one to begin with?), but it’s a great one considering how far Austin Reaves has come since his early days with the Los Angeles Lakers. Given his trajectory, who’s to say he won’t go further?