Lakers' JJ Redick Hypes Up Austin Reaves Play vs Warriors Amid Recent Trade Rumors

After a game-winning bucket on Christmas Day, the Lakers coach is hyping up his player.

Dec 25, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) scores against Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers are feeling good after winning a hard-fought game against the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day. They were able to win the game 115-113 even after Anthony Davis got hurt just seven minutes in. He turned his ankle and did not return.

LeBron James was fantastic in this game, putting up 31 points on 12-22 shooting to go along with ten assists. This game was billed as one of the last final great showdowns between James and Stephen Curry. Curry had 38 points and made eight three-pointers in the losing effort.

Even though the game was supposed to be about those two superstars, another Lakers player took over the spotlight at the end of the game. Austin Reaves was the big hero of this game for LA. He had a triple-double, posting 26 points, ten rebounds, and ten assists.

More than that, Reaves was able to get the game-winning bucket after driving by Andrew Wiggins for a layup with just one second left in the game. It was the biggest shot that Reaves has hit in his young NBA career and it should fill him with a ton of confidence moving forward.

There have been some trade rumors swirling around Reaves as the trade deadline gets closer. He is a player that a lot of other teams covet because of his great contract and his ability to shoot the ball. After the great win on Christmas, JJ Redick, his coach, had some great things to say about him.

“Austin’s a fearless competitor, he’s not afraid of big moments or big games."
-JJ on AR pic.twitter.com/1Nw6sSBE7W

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 26, 2024

Reaves continues to just go out there and play great basketball. He was able to score the 26 points by making four threes, as he shot 40 percent from deep in the contest. That's why the Lakers are so happy to have him on their team. He provides some spacing on a team that doesn't have a lot.

So far this season, Reaves is averaging a career-high 17.4 points per game. A lot of it is due to him being out on the court for 34 minutes a night. With his confidence soaring after a great game like he just had, those numbers might only go up from this point.

The Lakers don't know how long Davis will be out with that ankle injury, so Reaves might need to take an even bigger load onto his shoulders, especially on offense.

More Lakers news: Lakers' JJ Redick Explains Why LA's Offense is Ranked 29th in Last Month