Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reeves has come a long way from being undrafted in 2021 to being one of the crucial players in the lineup for his team. He was the third-best player for the Lakers last season and was exceptional, particularly in the playoffs.

While some people are surprised at his growth as a player, others feel that he can grow even more and be a much better player than what people imagined previously.

Recently in an interview with Aarthi and Sriram, former Golden State Warriors star Andre Iguodala shared his thoughts on the youngster and what lies ahead of him. “He’s a lot better than folks thought he was. He’s a real basketball player, and that’s why I’m a fan of his. (For) some teams, he would average more points than he does in other teams. You got some guys that may get in his way.”

Iguodala feels that Reeves has an indomitable spirit of winning matches and that makes him perfect for any team that he represents. “No matter what team he’s on, he’s gonna help you win, which is a telltale sign of what a real basketball player is,” Iguodala added.

While Reeves has seen a massive surge in his performances last season for the Lakers. He is still nowhere near the top two players in the team – LeBron James and Anthony Davis. As long as these two veterans are fit and raring to go on court, Reeves will be third-best in the team.

James and AD have also supported Reeves last season and it helped the youngster grow as a player. During their series against the Memphis Grizzlies, Lakers coach Darwin Ham designed a play around the guard and LeBron and AD did not hesitate much on the coach’s decision, which shows how much they value their team members and also believe in each of the players stepping on court for the Lakers.

Reeves also repaid their faith by draining many shots against the Grizzlies as they secured the win. He played so well that even LeBron and AD urged him to be more aggressive as it would force other teams to change their gameplay against the Lakers.

Reeves drained shots and was very aggressive on court. His game elevated massively on several levels which helped the Lakers make a deep run into the playoffs. Andre Iguodala got a first-hand experience last season as the Lakers defeated the Warriors and sent them home for an early pre-season. Iguodala even retired from the game.

While LeBron and AD were crucial to Lakers’ plans last season, Austin Reeves was equally important for the team.