You're sitting on the couch watching one of the Lakers' league-high 42 national TV appearances when late in the fourth quarter you suddenly start wondering, "who is No. 15 and why does he seem so familiar?"
On Wednesday, Dec. 15, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard continued to make a name for himself by helping the Lakers escape Dallas with an overtime victory.
Another look at Austin Reaves' CLUTCH game-winning triple for the @Lakers! pic.twitter.com/rMojOA4LvI
— NBA (@NBA) December 16, 2021
For the uninitiated, former Lakers guard Alex Caruso was previously memed for receiving an “honorary to-go plate” on the team as a scrappy player his teammates loved. Now, another Los Angeles player holds that honor.
Austin Reaves, who was signed by the Lakers after being unselected in the 2021 NBA Draft, has carved a role similar to Caruso through the early portion of the 2021-22 season.
That dagger 3-pointer was the said player's fifth of the game in just six attempts as he scored all of his 15 points from beyond the arc in the Lakers' last-second 107-104 victory against the Mavericks.
Having played in 17 of the team's 29 games, he averages 5.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.7 minutes per game, and Los Angeles coach Frank Vogel has called his impact “outstanding” on both sides of the ball.
MORE: Anthony Davis injury update: Will Lakers star miss any games?
“Teams think that they can target him, but he really moves his feet well, puts his body in front of the ball, and plays with toughness and scraps in loose-ball situations,” Vogel told Silver Screen and Roll. “He just plays a scrappy brand (of basketball), and offensively, the poise that he plays with offensively is very surprising for a rookie.”
As of Nov. 8, Reaves’ Net rating is the best of any Laker at plus 9.8. Meanwhile, his pairing with superstar forward LeBron James is an astounding 14.7.
Reaves’ impact could continue to play a role in the Lakers’ quest for their second NBA title in three seasons. Who is Reaves exactly, and what is his background as a player?
Who is Austin Reaves?
After a four-year college career that included stints at Wichita State and Oklahoma, Reaves went unselected in the 2021 NBA Draft, eventually signing a two-way contract with the Lakers on Aug. 3, 2021.
Reaves later excelled in the Lakers’ summer league stint in Las Vegas, averaging the second-most points (11.4), and most rebounds (6.2), assists (3.2) and steals (3.2) on the team in 22.2 minutes per game. He earned a standard contract with the Lakers on Sept. 27 and made his NBA debut on Oct. 22, scoring eight points on 3-of-4 shooting.
“He has done enough to earn my trust,” Vogel said during the Lakers’ preseason. “I can say that much. I feel good about everything he does out there. He really competes and knows where to be on a defensive end.”
NBA League Pass: Sign up to unlock live out-of-market games (7-day free trial)
After spending his first two seasons with the Shockers, Reaves transferred to Oklahoma for his final two collegiate seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively. In his first season, he was named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer team after averaging 14.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game for a team that went 19-12.
Last season, Reaves led the Sooners to the NCAA Tournament while averaging a team-best 18.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. He was named to the All-Big-12 first-team at the conclusion of the season before the Sooners lost to top-seeded Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
MORE: Early NBA Rookie of the Year odds: Is Scottie Barnes or Evan Mobley the favorite?
Reaves was previously unranked out of Cedar Ridge High School in Newark, Arkansas, where he led the Timberwolves to three state titles. As a senior, he averaged 32.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game and was named MVP of the Class 3A state tournament after averaging 43.3 points through four games.
Both of Reaves’ parents, Nicole and Brian, played basketball for Arkansas State, while his brother, Spencer, played college basketball for North Greenville and Central Missouri. His mother averaged 21.3 points per game and earned all-conference honors as a senior, while his father tied for third in program history with 384 career assists.