Darvin Ham sounds upbeat on Austin Reaves’ chances of becoming an All-Star: “I’m putting it on record”
Austin Reaves' breakout year was a massive storyline last season. After going undrafted in 2021, Reaves joined the LA Lakers for the 2021-22 season. Although he played in 61 games, averaging 23.2 minutes per game, it wasn't until his sophomore year that the young guard made a name for himself.
Last season, Reaves made significant improvements at both ends of the floor, averaging 13.0 points per game on 51.9% shooting from the field. When it came time for the playoffs, Austin Reaves' game took another jump as he wound up averaging 16.9 ppg and 4.6 assists.
Prior to the LA Lakers being eliminated from the playoffs, the big storyline looming on the horizon was Reaves' impending contract situation. While the LA Lakers were keen on re-signing him, the fact of the matter was that other teams had also taken note of his stellar play and wanted to sign him as well.
Early on in the free agency period this offseason, the Lakers locked Reaves into a four-year deal that is reportedly worth $56 million. Given their long-term commitment to the young guard, it's no wonder that coach Darvin Ham is optimistic Reaves can earn All-Star honors for his play.
During a recent appearance on the #thisleague UNCUT podcast, Ham praised Austin Reaves:
“I’m putting it on record right now, Austin Reaves will be an All-Star at some point soon. I think what you saw with him being invited to be a part of the World Cup team is the first step in that direction. Everything you saw him do last year, the kid is a flat-out competitor.
"... My plan is to continue to feature him. He’s our starting two-guard, and I think there’s a lot more levels [he's] going to get to before it’s all said and done.”
Austin Reaves' upcoming FIBA World Cup appearance for Team USA
As Ham referenced, Austin Reaves is currently gearing up to compete in the FIBA World Cup for Team USA. Considering Reaves went undrafted just two years ago, the fact that he's now starting for the LA Lakers, and is now representing Team USA, his future looks bright.
Throughout the course of Team USA's training camp leading up to the World Cup, Reaves will be practicing and competing with some of the NBA's best young talent. With the U.S. Men's National Team roster finalized for the upcoming tournament, fans will have the chance to see a number of elite players.
In addition to Reaves, Brooklyn's Mikal Bridges, Minnesota's Anthony Edwards, and New Orleans' Brandon Ingram will be a part of the team, to name just a few players.
With the NBA Summer League nearly over, the NBA community will then shift its focus to the Aug. 25 FIBA World Cup start date. On Aug. 26, Team USA will play its first game against New Zealand, before then playing Greece on Aug. 28. Two days later, the team will play Jordan in its final Group C game.
The tournament will run through Sept. 10, at which point the focus of the NBA community will pivot to the start of the upcoming season in October. There, Austin Reaves will look to showcase further development after his highly anticipated stint with Team USA as the Lakers pursue a championship.