Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves traveled an unconventional path to the NBA. Before he became one of the Lakers' most important players, Reaves underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder as a freshman in college, endured a redshirt transfer season, and went undrafted in 2021.
It's been a remarkable story to watch unfold, and as the 2024-25 season nears, Reaves has provided perspective on how steep the learning curve has been based on his unique experiences.
Reaves, 26, will enter his fourth NBA season facing the expectation that he'll take a significant step forward. He's provided ample reason to believe he'll do so, and the latest revelation epitomizes the cause for optimism surrounding his continued development as a player.
In a post-practice interview, Reaves spoke about his pre-NBA experiences and told reporters that he's only recently begun to understand the value of the trainer's room.
"Where I came from, my basketball coach was our strength coach. I didn't really have all the resources that everybody has now. So even getting to the league my rookie year, I thought if you was in the training room with me, you were hurt. So trying to grow out of that and getting in good habits of being in the training room every single day, just working on your body. Making sure you're in a good spot to continue to play and be there for your team is the main thing."
That development could result in Reaves tapping into an even higher level of his potential—and it could manifest as soon as the 2024-25 season.
Austin Reaves putting in work on his body to reach the next level
While not yet an All-Star, Reaves is one of the most complete offensive players in the NBA. He's a dynamic shot creator with a package of creativity, toughness, and skill that enabled him to attack set defenses and convert shots at an efficient clip of 55.5 percent on drives in 2023-24.
Reaves also matched his 36.7 percent shooting on catch-and-shoot threes with a mark of 37.3 percent on pull-ups—showcasing his invaluable on-ball and off-ball versatility.
When scoring isn't his focus, Reaves is one of the most proficient playmakers at his position. In 2023-24, he averaged 5.5 assists per game, which ranked in the top five among shooting guards—and every player ahead of him averaged more minutes per contest.
Reaves also maintained an eFG% of .568, which was 2.1 percent higher than the league average of .547—an impressive feat considering his usage rate increased by 4.4 percent from 2022-23.
After appearing in all 82 games in 2023-24, it's hard to imagine Reaves entering a season more physically ready than he was. He's improving his approach to his conditioning and general recovery from the wear and tear of a season, however, which bodes well for Los Angeles.
The new approach should translate to the defensive end of the floor, where Lakers head coach JJ Redick is already seeing signs of improvement.
Regardless of what the improvement looks like, the Lakers will be leaning on Reaves for continued growth as a player. He's thus far increased his averages across the board through each of his three NBA seasons, and he's perfectly equipped to do so again in 2024-25.
As the Lakers look for ways to simplify the game for LeBron James and make a second deep playoff run in three seasons, Reaves seems to be taking the necessary steps to enable their success.