Put Austin Reaves in the Lakers starting lineup, you cowards

If last night was the first time that you watched the Lakers this season, you’d think Austin Reaves was the second coming of Larry Bird.

Reaves, for reasons beyond just surface-level observations about their appearance, has already drawn comparisons to former Lakers fan favorite Alex Caruso. Both were undrafted players who started off on two-way contracts who clawed their way into the rotation — and into the hearts of those who support the Purple and Gold.

When I caught up with Caruso last month, he told me that he thought that Reaves was the type of glue guy that winning teams need. Caruso also said he felt the former Oklahoma star was farther along than he was during his first year in the league.

Caruso only started 19 games during his tenure with Los Angeles. But the Lakers shouldn’t make that mistake again. Especially after his game Wednesday night, when he was 5-for-6 from beyond the arc with a game-winning 3-pointer, it’s time that the Lakers let Reaves get a shot in the first unit.

You’ve probably already seen the highlight on SportsCenter or on your Twitter timeline because if the Lakers do something even kind of good, it’s assuredly going to dominate sports media. However, you can watch it again below but put in front of Kanye West’s “Father Stretch My Hands” for some added emphasis.

I was always high on Reaves, who I met up with pre-draft in New Jersey. We chopped it up over dinner before I visited one of his workouts. It was clear he was a very special young player.

I placed him at No. 37 overall on my final 2021 NBA draft big board here at For The Win. Reaves was in my fourth tier, which was the tier of players who I felt could find their way into an NBA rotation.

As I wrote at the time, I felt these were the players who could stick around the league “regardless of their draft position” and the only player that I had ranked ahead of him in that tier was Herbert Jones — who was selected No. 35 overall and has started 18 of the 27 games he has played for the Pelicans.

I felt the most impressive element of his game was that he was an unreal shot creator. As a senior, only 10.2% of his shots at the rim were assisted and he had a unique ability to shoot off the bounce.

(via HoopsHype)

When I asked him why so many more of his jumpers were off the dribble, which is more challenging than shots off the catch, he explained that defenses picked him up four or five feet beyond the arc because he was the focal point of the offense. He was forced to put the ball on the floor once he received the pass.

Reaves went undrafted but signed a two-way deal with the Lakers, which was later converted to a fully guaranteed deal. On his new squad, he has a new role.

Unlike how he played during his time at Oklahoma, each of his 3-pointers has come from an assist. He is finishing more than 40.0% of his possessions as a spot-up guy for the Lakers, per Synergy.

It’s closer to the role he played at Wichita State — he once needed just one dribble to score 21 points. But it’s not an unfamiliar or uncomfortable role, as he explained to me (via HoopsHype):

“I can get others involved and make open shots and make players for others. You have to stay ready and mentally locked in. Playing basketball is so normal for me. At the end of the day, it just feels like basketball, regardless of the score. I’m somebody who will make the simple play or the right play instead of going for the tough basket.”

He has a knack for not over-complicating the game, which is what has allowed him to score 1.14 points per possession. That ranks in the 91st percentile among all NBA players, per Synergy.

Meanwhile, as he alluded to when we spoke over the summer, Reaves has shown good passing instincts and a willingness to differ now that he is a pro. That is something you absolutely need when you share the floor with offensive juggernauts like LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook.

His assist-to-usage ratio (which estimates how “pass-first” a player is) ranks as above-average for someone who plays his position and is also higher than that of Kent Bazemore, Avery Bradley and Wayne Ellington. That means he doesn’t need the ball in his hands to make an impact — he can make plays for others without the offense running through him.

Watch one of my favorite assists Reaves recorded this year and you will see the rookie take the ball up the floor, pass it to LeBron, spot up in the corner, receive the ball, pump fake, drive to the basket then fire off a weak-side pass to Carmelo Anthony for a 3-pointer.

That showed what he can do with more of a load but more often than not, he is a more tertiary playmaker.

But his passing especially pops when you look at his secondary assists — or passes that lead to an assist. Reaves is averaging 0.39 secondary assists per assist, per PBP Stats, which is the second-most among the 280+ players who have recorded at least 300 passes so far this season.

Perhaps most surprising, at least based on my pre-draft evaluation of his game, is his effectiveness on the defensive end of the floor. There is a reason why LeBron James specifically told Frank Vogel that Reaves didn’t need help to double-team Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, per Mirin Fader.

When the Lakers faced the Trail Blazers on Nov. 6, he defended CJ McCollum for approximately 7 possessions. The Portland sharpshooter was an abysmal 0-for-4 from the field during that stretch, missing all of his jump shots.

It wasn’t just a random, cold shooting night from McCollum as Reaves actually defended him really well. Watch as he follows McCollum on the perimeter, then down the baseline, then past an off-ball screen from Cody Zeller. He remains draped on McCollum to force a contested jumper off the dribble.

Opponents are just 13-for-53 (24.5%) when shooting off the bounce against Reaves so far this season, per Synergy. He is allowing just 0.57 points per possession on these looks, which is better than all but one player among the 200+ who have defended at least 50 jumpers off the dribble.

When his team faced off against the Hornets on Nov. 8, Reaves took on the LaMelo Ball assignment for a little more than 18 possessions.

During that time, the reigning Rookie of the Year was 2-for-7 (28.6%) from the field and 1-for-4 (25.0%) on 3-pointers. By getting up in his grill, Reaves also forced a bad pass turnover against Ball, which you can see below:

While he doesn’t force a ton of turnovers, basic counting stats like steals aren’t as important to winning as points allowed. The Lakers allow 100.6 points per 100 possessions when Reaves is on the floor but 110.9 points per 100 when he is not, per PBPStats.

Even if that 10-point swing is attributed in part to the fact Reaves is often facing second units, it’s a significant enough number to monitor as the season continues.

His score on the catch-all metric RAPTOR from FiveThirtyEight suggests that Reaves has been the second-best rookie (behind only Cleveland’s Evan Mobley) on the defensive end of the floor so far this season.

I think it’s about time we see what happens when Reaves is in the starting lineup. He’s the right blend of a low-usage playmaker who hits his jumpers and plays hard on defense. Why not give it a shot, Vogel?