Anthony Davis Sounds Off On Austin Reaves After Lakers Defeat Magic

The Los Angeles Lakers are without LeBron James, but players have found a way to keep things under control. Austin Reaves is one of those players and Lakers big man Anthony Davis is really proud of his game on the floor.

Reaves helped the Lakers beat the Orlando Magic on Sunday night. It was a great win for the purple and gold.

Davis watched Reaves become a fan favorite and yes, he is really impressed by his growth. In the win over the Magic, Reaves delivered 36 points, six rebounds, and six assists while doing 9-of-14 from the field and 1-of-4 from the three-point line.

“Early in the season [last year], he just made the right plays,” Davis said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “He listened a lot. He was a sponge with all our guys that were here. I mean, we had a veteran group last year, so he was able to soak up a lot of information and apply it fairly quickly. And then you can see all of that coming out this year. And especially when he has to step up and play huge for us. So, from day one, we kind of knew what we had in Austin, and he just constantly gets better and better. Makes the right plays. We’re comfortable with the ball in his hands late in the game, and he’s going to make the right read. So, I knew early on the type of player he could be, and he’s showcasing it now.”

Davis and LeBron like Reaves and his potential

LeBron James noticed Reaves’ growth, too. He and AD have an internal joke about the young Laker. The powerful duo joked about Reaves’ ability to make the free-throw line.

“He gets a lot of those calls. Me and Bron joke about it,” Davis said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “Like, ‘Man, we wish we could get some of those.’ But yeah, man, as a guard, he’s able to – I don’t want to say manipulate the game – but to see how the game is being called and use it to his advantage. Like the Trae Youngs and James Hardens. Guys who get a lot of free throws. So, he’s able to take that to his advantage and get to the line.”

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham praised Reaves’ ability to come in clutch moments for the team. The young player knows how to shock opposing defense and his aggressiveness is pretty impressive, too.