The Los Angeles Lakers look the part of one of the best teams in the NBA this season with LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reeves all in the lineup. Ever since the trade to bring Doncic in from the Dallas Mavericks, the Lakers have been finding their groove as the playoffs get closer and closer.
Everyone knows what Doncic and James bring to the table. The former is coming off of an epic playoff run with Dallas and can be the best player in any given game and any given series. The latter is arguably the greatest player of all time and can dominate on any night.
It is the performance of Reaves that may be the most surprising and could make the Lakers one of the scariest teams to play in the playoffs. The Oklahoma product has emerged as one of the best secondary ball handlers in the NBA this season and is a candidate for the league’s Most Improved Player as a result.
Despite his excellent season, Lakers head coach JJ Redick doesn’t think that Reaves has any shot of winning the award, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
JJ Redick with a discussion about NBA awards today after practice, says he think he is more informed to make picks as a coach than he was as a media member. That said, he didn’t even want to discuss Austin Reaves’ case as MIP because he says that award’s been misinterpreted pic.twitter.com/WnFhY90Bbp
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 2, 2025
“I hate that award because they’ve failed to define it,” Redick said. ” The spirit of it has been taken out of wack. Just call it the high draft pick who’s on a max contract and now is an All-Star. Just call it that award. Who’s that guy? Because that’s what it’s become.”
Redick does have a point, as players such as Brandon Ingram and Ja Morant have won the award in recent years. This season, it seems as if that trend will continue, as Detroit Pistons superstar Cade Cunningham is the current favorite to win.
Even if Reaves doesn’t get the award, he has still had an excellent season that deserves recognition. In 67 games this season, Reaves is averaging nearly 20 points per game and dishing out almost six assists a night. He has also been able to scale his role up or down effectively based on who is or isn’t in the lineup, which is a great skill for a player like him to have.
Reaves will be a critical player in these NBA playoffs. If he can keep this level of play up, this Lakers team has a legitimate chance to win another NBA Championship in its first season with Redick as head coach.
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