On Wednesday evening, Austin Reaves continued his hot start to the 2025-26 season with a 28-point, 16-assist game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, capped off by a game-winning floater over Donte DiVincenzo as time expired. The Lakers had blown a 20-point second half lead at that time, but Reaves showed impressive poise in getting to his spot and nailing the tough shot.
Reaves has now already put together a game-winner, a 51-point game, and a 41-point game this year in the absences of Luka Doncic and LeBron James, and recently, sports media personality Skip Bayless took to X, formerly Twitter, with a bold challenge for any Reaves skeptics that may be out there.
“Show me another undrafted NBA player, former player who's more successful than Austin Reaves. Show me more firepower. Show me more talent,” wrote Bayless.
While the undrafted label has been used throughout Reaves' career to help provide even more impressive context to his accomplishments, it should be noted that Reaves was undrafted by choice, telling teams not to select him in order to get to his preferred destination of the Lakers.
Still, that doesn't make what he's been doing this week any less impressive.
A huge development for the Lakers
If Austin Reaves is the borderline star-level player that his play this week would indicate, that could completely recontextualize expectations for the Lakers for the rest of this season once Doncic and James are healthy.
There will always be major issues defensively with a backcourt of Doncic and Reaves, and the Lakers haven't exactly done a great job of stockpiling three-and-D wings, so the team might still not be in legitimate contention due to those factors. However, Reaves' explosive scoring ability could give the Lakers the ability to win track meet-type games that they may not have been able to hang in previously.
It remains to be seen whether or not Reaves will be able to keep this efficiency and confidence up once he is demoted back to his traditional off-ball role alongside Doncic and James.
In any case, the Lakers will next take the floor on Friday evening on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies.
