Austin Reaves has been making waves for the Los Angeles Lakers over the past seasons. His rapid improvement has impressed the franchise to the point that Rob Pelinka and the front office felt it was safe to ship D’Angelo Russell away to the Brooklyn Nets.
Hillbilly Kobe has been a reliable presence for the Purple and Gold ever since picking the undrafted Oklahoma product from the undrafted pool. His rapid improvement from a spark plug off the bench into a reliable two-way option for JJ Redick’s team makes him such an exciting player for Lakers fans and the rest of the NBA to follow.
Russell’s departure from the team was a clear signal that the coaching staff was planning to use him more in the team’s upcoming games. The media approached him to get his opinion on the matter, and his thoughts on his bigger role on the roster.
Austin Reaves is excited about his bigger role on the Lakers roster
Austin experienced his improved role on Redick’s roster during Los Angeles’ 122-110 New Year’s Eve defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Reaves had a fantastic showing against King James’ hometown team. He celebrated his upgraded role with an impressive stat line of 35 points, nine boards, ten assists, and one steal.
While his team suffered a loss, Reaves is still peppy about his bigger responsibilities and was honest about the adjustment he’s making to fit the bigger shoes.
Per ClutchPoints’ David Yapkowitz:
“It’s fun, like I said, I’m gonna mess up, gonna do dumb things and I’m gonna learn from them. That’s all I can really do. I’m kind of taking this role on the fly, trading D’Lo, getting more on ball reps,” Reaves said. “I’m just in my fourth year in the league and everyday I can still learn something new. I’m really excited to continue to learn, continue to grow and become a better player.”
Reaves is enjoying a solid fourth campaign with the Purple and Gold, averaging 18.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists through 27 starts. Fans can expect these numbers to rise a bit with the bigger role he’s now taking on the roster.
If Reaves manages to keep his numbers up, the Lakers can use him as one of the lynchpins for the Lakers’ climb into automatic playoff contention.
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