For the last few years, the Los Angeles Lakers had the dynamic duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the team to glory.
However, aside from the duo, the Lakers hardly had any good supporting cast. But the Lakers no longer have that issue in the 2024-25 NBA season.
For starters, the Lakers have flipped an aging Davis for 26-year-old Luka Doncic, who is one of the best players in the world. While most fans expected James and Doncic to dominate, what they didn’t expect was the rise of Austin Reaves as a legitimate third star on the team.
James Worthy on Austin Reaves
Reaves continued his phenomenal run this season with a 23-point performance during the Lakers’ 140-109 win over the Houston Rockets.
After the game, team legend James Worthy heaped huge praise on Reaves’ growth as a third star alongside the James-Doncic duo.
“He’s a problem. He’s a problem and a threat. Usually in the past, maybe more today you find more ball handlers, but to have your third guy to be just as good a decision maker as Luka and LeBron is, and can score, and can shoot, and can draw fouls.
“I’m not going to say better than those two but just as good. He gets to the line, because he knows how to feel and make the bump and get that shot.”
In just a couple of years, Reaves has gone from an undrafted prospect to a crucial member of the Purple and Gold. As Worthy pointed out, Reaves’ decision-making makes him arguably the best third option in the league today.
Sure James and Doncic will take care of business on most nights, but whenever Reaves’ number has been called to get the Lakers through a tough stretch, the 26-year-old has delivered.
Keeping that in mind, Worthy believes devising a strategy to contain Reaves will be a nightmare for opposing team head coaches come playoff time.
“That’s a problem and I don’t know from a coaching standpoint how you prepare for that, when you have three guys that handle the ball that well and that efficient.
“He’s gonna be a threat, and he’s focused at both ends. He’ll take charges, he’ll take smart decisions at the defensive end, Reaves has definitely arrived.”
