"Give him the blank check Jeanie!!"- Austin Reaves channels his inner Michael Jordan and the NBA fans are loving it
Austin Reaves followed up his 35-point career night against Orlando with another solid performance for the LA Lakers during their 122-111 home win over the Phoenix Suns. Reaves scored 25 points on Wednesday, bagging a career-high 11 assists and four rebounds.
Reaves took only 10 field-goal attempts as he continued to stay aggressive and get to the foul line. He made 13 free-throw attempts, missing only one shot from the charity stripe. He once again received MVP chants from the Lakers crowd.
Fans online went berserk after the undrafted guard's solid outing. One of them demanded Lakers owner Jeanie Buss to offer Reaves whatever sum he commands in upcoming free agency, saying:
"Give him the blank check Jeanie!!"
@LegionHoops Give him the blank check Jeanie!!
More reactions followed:
@LegionHoops The Suns watching Austin Reaves go off: https://t.co/uhPlwpff9W
@LegionHoops https://t.co/tLQBsrh4sg
@LegionHoops Outplayed Booker https://t.co/8lJSICsdmv
@LegionHoops 2nd best player on the Lakers
@LegionHoops Heβs better https://t.co/e7iGH4mWJz
@LegionHoops THE KID IS A HALL OF FAMER
@BleacherReport Heβs him now: https://t.co/ZIiCCg9vZG
@BleacherReport https://t.co/KcAHWNWR1g
@BleacherReport Austin Reaves has non-Lakers fans crying in the timeline ππ
@TheHoopCentral Reaves has been better than Jalen green all season https://t.co/AwYp2AApIO
Austin Reaves bags starting spot with LA Lakers following career-night against Orlando
Austin Reaves bagged a starting role against the Phoenix Suns following his career-high 35-point effort against the Orlando Magic on Sunday. The Lakers desperately needed someone to step up after Anthony Davis struggled to perform. Reaves willed the Lakers to a 111-105 win, a much-needed one due to their playoff aspirations.
Reaves' start against the Suns helped the Lakers dominate most of the game. His high IQ plays on both ends took the pressure off players like D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Davis, who rediscovered their form too. The former tallied 26 points and six assists, shooting 9 of 13, including 3-of-6 from deep, while the latter had 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists on 55.6% shooting.
Austin Reaves came in for the struggling Malik Beasley, whose shot efficiency has come down over the past few games. Beasley played with less pressure this time, knocking down 2-of-5 shots. The Lakers will likely have to continue starting Reaves to give themselves a good start.
Austin Reaves hits on the turnaround fade π₯
Lakers-Suns | Live on ESPN https://t.co/7J5a3H6PAi
He is a more versatile option than Beasley due to his ability as a three-level scorer, his playmaking and his ability to play off the ball. Reaves also has better chemistry with Anthony Davis, and the two connected well on pick-and-rolls during the game.
Reaves is also excellent at drawing fouls. Over the past four games, he has averaged 13.2 free-throw attempts (53 total) and converted 84.9% of those shots. Reaves also doesn't need many field-goal attempts due to his ability to draw fouls. Over the past four games, he has averaged 25 points, attempting only 11.5 shots per contest.
The Lakers have lacked a consistent scoring threat outside of AD in LeBron James' absence, and Reaves seems like the solution to resolve those woes.