Austin Reaves is garnering the attention of the national media amidst strong play during the Los Angeles Lakers current push for the playoffs. Without LeBron James, Reaves is stepping up, and JJ Redick took notice on his podcast The Old Man & The Three.

ā€œMemes aside, the guy is a d*ck. He competes every night. Winning and losing matters to himā€¦ He has a level of mental and physical toughness that I love. Those are the types of guys that LeBron James also loves.ā€

JJ Redick has become one of the faces of player friendly media across the NBA and is sure to put a smile on Austin Reaves' face with his latest analysis. Redick calls Reaves a ā€œd**kā€ in the nicest way possible, essentially defining him as a player with tough intangibles.

Redick mentions LeBron James' love for Reaves as well, and he couldn't be more right. After Reaves' recent 35 point performance in a win vs. the Orlando Magic, LeBron took to twitter to praise his young teammate.

With LeBron nursing a foot injury, the emergence of Austin Reaves could not come at a better time. The Lakers currently sit at tenth in the Western Conference standings with ten games to play. They will need every win they can get from here on out to make it into the playoffs.

It is still uncertain if LeBron will make a return during the regular season, but that is out of the current Lakers control. For now, Austin Reaves and company will look to continue their strong play in Wednesday's matchup against the Phoenix Suns.