When JJ Redick took the job to become the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coach, he immediately made it a point to say he would empower Austin Reaves to handle more offensive responsibility during the 2024-25 season.
Reaves was coming off a stellar 2023-24 season, but no one could have predicted the leap he would make this year. He has been considered a core piece for the Lakers, but Reaves has shown legitimate All-Star upside this season and looked even better on the floor once Luka Doncic arrived.
Although the basketball remains largely in LeBron James and Doncic’s hands, Reaves sometimes finds himself with control of a possession and doesn’t wait to make his move. It’s clear that he’s playing with a lot of confidence and even went so far to say that he thinks the Lakers can win a championship.
Los Angeles’ road to a title begins this Saturday when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves for Game 1. In an interview on the Pat McAfee Show, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul said he thinks Reaves will be the key to the series for Los Angeles:
"The Timberwolves and Lakers matchup isn't gonna be easy for anybody..
I believe Austin Reaves is gonna be the X-factor in that series" ~ @RichPaul4 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/RM8t6dNiRg
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 15, 2025
Minnesota isn’t a normal six-seed as they were rated top-10 in both offense and defense, normally strong indicators of a title contender. However, even the Timberwolves could find their defense stretched thin as they’ll need to put their best defenders on Doncic and James before they consider how to guard Reaves.
Redick has been smart about using Reaves when other teams commit to slowing down Doncic and James, calling plays to utilize him as a ballhandler or scorer depending on the coverage. Even though he’s had the basketball in his hands more, Reaves has been able to remain as efficient as ever thanks to his outside shooting and ability to get to the free throw line.
The Timberwolves have the size, length and depth to go toe-to-toe with the Lakers, but in the playoffs sometimes a series comes down to who has the better stars. In Los Angeles’ case, it’s hard to argue against them when Reaves is playing as well as he is.
Phil Handy saw Austin Reaves’ potential before rookie season
Austin Reaves was good enough to get taken in the 2022 NBA Draft, but instead chose to go undrafted. The story goes he wanted to play for a team like the Lakers, though his roster spot wasn’t guaranteed.
However, former Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy said he saw Reaves’ potential as an NBA player early one when he finally got a chance to work with him in the gym.
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