Los Angeles Lakers rookie Austin Reaves entered the season on a two-way contract but eventually parlayed that into a standard deal after making a strong impact on the court.
Reaves, who went undrafted out of Oklahoma, is averaging 6.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists on 48.8% shooting in 38 games. He has often brought immense energy and effort off the bench, which has enabled him to earn praise from his coaches and teammates.
The 23-year-old knew coming into the season that he wouldn’t play in a featured role with so many veterans ahead of him on the depth chart. He wanted to contribute in any way he could and that has resulted in a solid rookie campaign.
On Monday, he explained his mindset coming into the season.
I knew I wasn’t going to have the ball in my hands. I wasn’t going to be ball-dominant so I was going to have to figure out all of the other ways I could get on the court. The first step was providing all of those little things to stay on the court and just continue to do that — playing hard and plug the gaps we have.
We have a lot of talent. We need guys like me, (Avery Bradley), Stanley (Johnson) and Talen (Horton-Tucker). We all do little things within the game that don’t show up in the stat sheet but, at the end of the day, if you’re a basketball mind, you know they really help the game go smoothly and move forward.
Reaves has often been commended by those around him for his ability to stay ready and contribute when called upon. He has also drawn praise for stepping up in clutch moments, such as the night he hit the game-winning shot against the Dallas Mavericks.
He hasn’t often had rookie mistakes this season, and has played well beyond his years for the most part. Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said Reaves carries himself like a seasoned veteran on and off the court, something that is a bit rare for a rookie.
The Lakers needed to add a player like Reaves to fill the roster, and it looks as though they hit a home run with the signing.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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