Lakers News: Darvin Ham Applauds Versatile Austin Reaves

Reaves has done a little bit of everything so far in the preseason.

Second-year shooting guard Austin Reaves has looked very impressive through the Lakers' first two preseason games. 

He, like the rest of the team, struggled from the field in the team's opening game in an off the bench role.

But in their most recent game against the Suns, Reaves was given a shot in the starting lineup — and he delivered.

Reaves had six points, seven rebounds, nine assists, three steals and two blocks in a team-high 35 minutes on the court.

His versatile performance earned some high praise from Darvin Ham.

Ham on Reaves: “Austin is like a Swiss Army Knife … he’s going to be a really, really valuable piece for us as we try to turn this thing around.”

Reaves had 6 points on 2 of 3 FG’s, 9 assists, 7 boards, 3 steals and 2 blocks in his starting role.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) October 6, 2022

It's always good when you impress the new head coach, especially when he's figuring out who's going to be in the starting lineup come opening night.

It's even better when you impress one of your teammates, especially when his name is LeBron James. The four-time league MVP raved about his young teammate.

“Austin can fit in any group,” James said. “A guy who plays extremely hard, plays well, doesn’t make mistakes. Always in the right place at the right time. He plays extremely hard. His IQ is very high. He fits in any group, and it’s always good to be on the floor with him."

There aren't many better things a young player can do than impress his head coach and the team's most important player. 

If Reaves continues to play like he did on Wednesday, there's a good chance he'll be logging a ton of minutes for Ham and the Lakers in his sophomore season. He'll get his next opportunity tonight, against the Minnesota Timberwolves, as the Lakers' preseason continues.