Austin Reaves was quite a revelation for the Los Angeles Lakers in their Game 1 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. As a matter of fact, it was the second-year guard who carried LA to a 128-112 victory over Ja Morant and the No. 2 seed Grizzlies on Sunday.
NBA guru Shams Charania has shared his thoughts on Reaves' heroics from Game 1 after the 24-year-old went off for 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting against Memphis, to go along with three rebounds, four assists, a steal, a block, and zero turnovers in 31 minutes of action.
According to Shams, the player Reaves reminds him of is former All-Star Gordon Hayward:
“This is who Austin Reaves reminds me of… Gordon Hayward,” Charania said. “The way plays, how shifty he is, his jump shot reminds me of his.”
Shams Charania: "This is who Austin Reaves reminds me of… Gordon Hayward. The way plays, how shifty he is, his jump shot reminds me of his."
Evan Turner: "I think Austin Reaves got some more dog & more umph to him than Gordon."
(via @FanDuelTV)pic.twitter.com/uRofVC3Zay
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 17, 2023
Shams' co-host on the show, Evan Turner, then responded by saying that he actually believes Reaves is an upgrade to Gordon Hayward:
“I think Austin Reaves got some more dog and more umph to him than Gordon,” Turner said.
You have to note that Turner actually played against Hayward on more than a few occasions, so you have to put some stock on what he's saying here.
Whatever the case may be, what cannot be denied is that Austin Reaves was integral to the Lakers' success in Game 1. Even LeBron James himself opted to defer to Reaves in the dying moments of the game — and the 24-year-old responded in the best way possible. Like he said after hitting clutch shot after clutch shot in the dying moments of Game 1, Raves is indeed “HIM.”
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