The Los Angeles Lakers' front office was surely thinking of the 2023-24 Dallas Mavericks as it retooled LA's roster this past offseason. The mission for Rob Pelinka and Co. was to build a team of length and athleticism around All-World superstar Luka Doncic. The aforementioned Mavs constructed a squad of that description around Doncic, and it led to an NBA Finals appearance.
Playing the "Robin" role for that Mavs group was none other than 2016 NBA Champion Kyrie Irving, also considered one of the best ball-handlers of all time (I personally think he's the best) as well as one of the most talented guards to ever play the sport, period.
Comparing the all-time great that is Irving to the Robin on the current Lakers -- Austin Reaves -- might make some fans scoff or laugh. But it doesn't garner any sort of reaction like that from Doncic himself.
Luka Doncic didn't shy away from Kyrie Irving-Austin Reaves comparison
When Luka was asked about the Kyrie-Reaves comparison for a new Sports Illustrated interview, he didn't shoot it down or invalidate it. Instead, Doncic just acknowledged that Irving and Reaves are different ... but also kind of the same as it relates to how they help him thrive as the primary offensive threat.
“Two different players,” Doncic said of Reaves and Irving, per SI's Chris Mannix. “[But] I know when I play pick-and-roll, when I play one-on-one, they’re not going to help off [Irving or Reaves] and same way around. So, I think when we’re both together on the floor, we have a lot more space.”
Think what you want to think about Luka's comments, but the fact that he acknowledged this comparison with a straight face shows just how far Reaves has come in his career. Remember, this guy was undrafted. These days, he's still walking on cloud nine after signing a cool $185 million deal with the Lakers.
I still think the comparison to Kyrie is a bit much. Irving is a surefire Hall of Famer in my opinion, and I've already decorated him with superlatives above. Austin Reaves is ... not that. But then again, maybe I'm giving Irving too much credit, and Reaves not enough.
At 28, Reaves still has the majority of his prime years left to craft a legacy that makes my take here look bad. To do so, he'll need to stack some All-Star appearances and win a ring. That's not an impossible task alongside prime Doncic.
For now, Lakers fans should sit back and appreciate Reaves' ridiculous development through the years. If you've been watching the team for the better part of the past five or six seasons, you've seen Reaves improve each and every year. Whether or not he still has a few more "level ups" in him remains to be seen. The Lakers are certainly paying him as if he does!
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