Lakers News: Austin Reaves's Historic Shooting Efficiency

Lakers second-year guard Austin Reaves is having a historic shooting season thus far.

Your Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in a rut after losing three games in a row this past week. L.A. is looking to get back in the win column today against the Detroit Pistons and look for an unexpected player to step up in Austin Reaves. 

Reaves has been surprisingly great this season through 25 games. Although his numbers may not be as eye-popping as we make them out to be, he is averaging 10.9 points, 2.1 assists, and three rebounds a game thus far. However, Reaves is on pace for a historic shooting season. The O.C. Register's Kyle Goon said Reaves could join the elite 50-40-90 club. 

"Reaves drew attention earlier this season when he was enjoying a fabled 50-40-90 shooting line (FG%, 3FG%, and FT%). His 3-point percentage has taken a dip in the games since, but he’s still shooting 51.5% from the floor, 37.2% from behind the arc and 90.8% from the free-throw line through 25 games. As of Saturday afternoon, Reaves was the only player shooting those averages or better while also playing at least 500 minutes (the Clippers’ Luke Kennard has put up high shooting numbers, but has played less than 400 minutes this season)."

The 50-40-90 club is an elite club in which a player could enter when that player averages 50% or better from the two-point range, 40% or better from the three-point range, and 90% or better from the free throw line. 

Only nine players in NBA history have accomplished that extraordinary feat. Hall of Famers Larry Bird and Steve Nash have multiple seasons shooting their way into the 50-40-90 club. 

Reaves, a second-year player undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft, was signed up by L.A. on a two-way contract in the summer of 2021. He showed flashes of being a solid NBA player last season but had his showing out party in the last game of the 2021-2022 season against the Denver Nuggets, recording his first-career triple-double. 

The 24-year-old has been a great piece alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the early part of the 2022-2023 season.