Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Sanjesh Singh

Skip Bayless dubs Austin Reaves as Lakers’ second-best all-around player

When the Los Angeles Lakers picked up Austin Reaves as an undrafted rookie this summer, the expectations for him were minimal.

He started on a two-way contract and would’ve spent time developing with the South Bay Lakers, Los Angeles’ G League affiliate. However, the Lakers promoted Reaves early in the season and gave him a spot on the 15-man roster.

Through 23 games — he’s missed time with a hamstring injury and in the league’s health and safety protocol — Reaves has been a consistently sound basketball player on both ends of the floor.

He’s averaging 6.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 20.6 minutes per game with a 53.1/38.6/88 shooting split. His performance, including a game-winner against the Dallas Mavericks, led to the Lakers guaranteeing his contract for the rest of the season.

After Reaves dropped 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting overall and 4-of-7 from deep against the Sacramento Kings Wednesday, Skip Bayless gave his thoughts on how Reaves has played:

With LeBron James presumably No. 1 for Skip, he ranks Reaves higher than Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook.

Of course, that ranking is debatable. But if Reaves has made anything clear during his playing time, it’s that he needs to play as much as possible. He makes winning plays.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.