Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves has established his value as a selfless player who's willing to adapt to any role he's asked to. Whether he's operated as a second, third, or even complementary option on offense, Reaves has taken it all in stride.
As the Lakers approach the 2026 NBA Playoffs and LeBron James embraces his new role as Los Angeles' third option, however, Reaves must become more assertive.
Reaves has been nothing short of dynamic in 2025-26. He's averaging 23.8 points, 5.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 2.4 three-point field goals made in 34.2 minutes per game on .496/.369/.874 shooting.
Reaves is one of 11 NBA players averaging at least 20.0 points, 5.0 assists, and 2.0 three-point field goals made, and has the best field goal percentage of any player on the list.
For as impressive as that all may be, Reaves is still in a somewhat uncomfortable position as a player. Luka Doncic is a five-time All-NBA First Team honoree who's on pace for a second career scoring title, James is one of the greatest in NBA history, and Reaves has yet to make an All-Star Game appearance.
For as daunting as it may be, Reaves must push past those facts, embrace James' sacrifice to accept his role as a No. 3, and play with an aggressive and assertive mentality.
Austin Reaves must be assertive for Lakers to realize their potential
The good news is that Reaves has recently been checking the very box this article is requesting him to. He's attempted at least 18 field goals in four consecutive games. Unfortunately, it's the first time since October that Reaves has reached 18 field goal attempts in at least three straight games.
He obviously missed time due to a calf injury between then and now, but he played 33 times and failed to consistently reach that high number.
18 is obviously an arbitrary figure, but rounding down to 15 is more in line with the number of shots stars are typically asked to attempt on a nightly basis. He's reached 15 field goal attempts in five consecutive games, but hadn't even done so twice in a row in his previous 16 appearances.
Though 15 may still feel arbitrary, the importance is simple: The Lakers are 21-5 when Reaves attempts at least 15 field goals and 8-8 when he plays but fails to.
Say what you will about the legitimacy of magic numbers, but Reaves certainly seems to have one. With this in mind, he must make it a point to prioritize his own scoring as well as that of those around him, even on nights when he might need patience to get things going.
It's not necessarily the most comfortable of tasks to take on, but Reaves must prove he's ready for a star's responsibility by playing with a star's mentality.