The Los Angeles Lakers have received a great deal of criticism for the contract they gave Austin Reaves earlier this summer. It's fairly understandable, as he signed a massive four-year, $180 million deal that one would typically only see an All-Star sign. Reaves, of course, has yet to be an All-Star.
Thankfully, there are a number of statistics that suggest the Lakers weren't as crazy as some presumed to pay Reaves top dollar. It's certainly a risky move, but his statistical profile is that of a player who would, in fact, make that type of money.
That all begins with the fact that Reaves' mere presence on the court causes opposing defenses to adjust the way they play.
3. Offensive gravity
This is more of a three-in-one statistic, but it's necessary to provide each figure for the sake of context. It starts with the fact that Reaves ranked in the 98th percentile in overall gravity during the 2025-26 regular season, per Basketball Index.
The two statistics that round this into form: Reaves ranked in the 98th percentile in on-ball gravity and the 89th percentile in off-ball gravity.
Those statistics reflect how opposing defenses adjust to Reaves' presence on the court in both on and off-ball capacities. That not only permits Los Angeles to optimize spacing with defenders constantly sticking to him, but illustrates how opponents shift their coverage to attempt to stop him in isolation. They do so as though he's a superstar.
What Reaves does with and without the ball clearly decides how effective he is, but the fact that he can bend opponents to his will is a strength that teams often pay top dollar for.
2. Passing creation volume
As a player with elite gravity, the question then becomes a matter of what Reaves does with the ball in his hands. One of the biggest reasons to believe he's ready to make a leap to stardom is that he's already figured out how to turn a defense's attention into opportunities for his teammates.
Per Basketball Index, Reaves ranked in the 87th percentile in passing creation volume—a figure that measures shots created for teammates per 75 possessions.
Reaves' court vision and willingness as a passer is essential to his success and should shine through even brighter in a more defined role. This past season, he had to balance playing with two ball-dominant teammates who were arguably trusted more as facilitators in Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
In 2026-27, the door will swing wide open for Reaves to thrive as a true second option on the playmaking front.
1. Self-created shot making efficiency
Reaves is clearly proven as a scorer having averaged 20.2 points per game in 2024-25 and 23.3 points per contest in 2025-26. The statistic that reveals how great of a scorer he truly is, however, is more about the how than the what.
According to Basketball Index, Reaves ranked in the 95th percentile in self-created shot making efficiency—and was also in the 92nd percentile in off-ball shot making efficiency.
The most shocking element of Reaves' efficiency is that he also ranked in the 14th percentile in shot quality. In other words: He's not just making self-created shots at an elite clip, but doing so even when teams are blanketing him with great defense.
Reaves still has questions to answer on defense and in the postseason, but these statistics prove that he's ready to excel as an offensive force in the regular season.
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