When you sit on the couch and watch the Lakers play against the Lone Rangers, do you have the question in mind, "Who is the Lakers' No. 15, and why does he look so familiar?" In the game against the Lone Rangers, the 1.96-meter shooting guard scored three points in overtime to help the Lakers narrowly defeat the Lone Rangers.
He is the Lakers' NBA "lost draft" Austin Reeves, signed by the Lakers in the 2021 offseason. In the new season, he plays a role similar to Caruso on the Lakers. Counting the killer three-pointers, Reeves hit five three-pointers in six shots in this game, effectively cutting 15 points.
This season, Reeves played in 17 of the Lakers' 29 games, averaging 19.7 minutes per game, 5.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists, and Lakers head coach Vogel called his impact on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends "very good."
"That's what we like about him, he's a player who is both offensive and defensive and has been doing well all the time. He's a good defender, tall, fast-paced, and he's playing at a high level on both ends of the board. Vogel said.
Who exactly is Reeves and what is his player background?
Reeves spent his time at Wichita State University and the University of Oklahoma, where he spent 4 years in college. After spending his first two college seasons at Wichita State, Reeves transferred to Oklahoma for the final two college seasons of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. In his junior season, he was named to the Big 12 All-Team with 14.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
Last season, Reeves averaged a team-high 18.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. In the second round of the NCAA Championship, Oklahoma lost to top seed Gonzaga men's basketball team.
In the 2021 NBA draft, he had a chance to be selected by the Pistons with the 42nd pick, but he wanted to join the Lakers himself, considering that the Lakers did not have a draft pick, he finally decided to temporarily withdraw from the draft. In the end, the Lakers signed a two-way contract with Reeves on August 3, 2021.
After joining the Lakers, Reeves performed well in the summer league. He averaged 22.2 minutes per game and was second on the team in points (11.4), rebounds (6.2), assists (3.2) and steals (3.2). On September 27, the Lakers signed a formal contract with Reeves and made their NBA debut on October 22, scoring 8 points on 3-of-4 shooting.
"What he's done has been enough to earn my trust," Vogel said during the Lakers' preseason. "I feel good about everything he does on the pitch. He's really competitive and knows where he should be on the defensive end. ”