Austin Reaves: The Third Star?!

The modern NBA has a tighter salary cap. Teams fear reaching the second apron. So, they are changing how they build their rosters. Championship teams in the past had high-end role players as third options. Examples are Michael Porter Jr. on the Nuggets, Jrue Holiday on the Bucks, and Derrick White on the Celtics. No longer are the days of the superteams like the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat. Role players like Austin Reaves have been able to step up to the plate. Scoring, playmaking, and playing off the two main stars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Now, with D'Angelo Russell traded away, it has given the Reaves the chance to become the third option for the LA team.

 Austin Reaves is the third option on the veteran Lakers. They made that clear by trading their veteran point guard, D'Angelo Russell. Reaves has stepped up to the plate as he has been averaging close to a triple-double in the past few games. He is now the second ball handler on the Lakers. This eases the load on 40-year-old LeBron James. Reaves serves as the player to take pressure off his main stars.

 Reaves is one of the league's most skilled players. He excels at scoring, rebounding, playmaking, and off-ball play. Austin is one of the most aggressive players on the court. He can drive to the basket, and he is a great three-point shooter, hitting 36 percent from behind the arc. His deadly off-ball three-point shooting leads to easy drives for Austin. He loves contact, so it gets him baskets. Austin knows how to control his speed, which makes him a tougher player to guard. Along with his added mid-range jumper, it makes him an all-around player on offense. Reaves is a solid defensive player who can get steals and create possessions. The Lakers found one hell of a gem considering that Austin Reaves was an undrafted player.

The Lakers have been solid this year. Younger players, like Austin Reaves, have stepped up. This has made it easy for their stars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Austin has been the all-around player that the Lakers have been needing for a while. Now, with D'Lo gone, the Lakers could expect Austin Reaves's production to keep going up. The Lakers found their third star out of luck. And now they are making the most of it this year.

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