Austin Reaves has taken one of the biggest leaps in the NBA this season, transforming from undrafted role player into a nightly 28.9, 5.7 and 6.8 force for the Los Angeles Lakers. With Luka Doncic running the show and LeBron James still anchoring the franchise, Reaves has surprisingly emerged as the third star powering a team sitting near the top of the Western Conference.
Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce has taken notice, and he didn’t hold back in his assessment of the 5th-year guard during a recent appearance on “Ticket & The Truth.”
“Austin Reaves is playing at a superstar level,” Pierce said. “But this is where he’s gonna be judged at: He’s gonna be judged on his playoffs. As good as he looks right now, ’cause what we saw last year in the playoffs, people was like, ‘He’s not it.’”
Pierce pointed out that Reaves’ struggles against Minnesota in the Lakers’ brief 2025 postseason cameo still hang over him. He averaged 16.2 points on 41.1 percent shooting and just 31.9 percent from deep, numbers far below his 24 to 25 regular-season production.
“But to his credit, that was his first playoffs really to where he had the spotlight on him, and he had to run into a championship-caliber team like Denver,” Pierce said. “So now, we gotta see what you do in the playoffs because if the Lakers don’t re-sign him, somebody’s gonna give him that money. You know what I’m saying?
“I think he’s a great No. 2 or 3 guy on a championship team.”
Reaves will get the chance to prove that this season, with the Lakers sitting at 26 and 5 and only Oklahoma City above them in the standings. If his regular-season dominance translates into postseason consistency, 2026 could be the moment where Reaves cements his rise from undrafted curiosity to bona fide star.
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