Lakers GM Rob Pelinka confesses his concerns with Austin Reaves in the Luka Doncic trade

Luka Doncic has quickly silenced doubts about his fit with the Los Angeles Lakers. Since joining the team, he has shown his ability to make a real difference on the court. In four of his last five games, he has scored 20 points or more. One of his best connections on the floor has been with Austin Reaves. The two have built strong chemistry in a short time. However, not everyone was convinced at first. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka admitted he had concerns with Reaves fit after Doncic arrived.

“In the monthlong process of the Luka Doncic trade discussions, of course, you’re thinking about the players you may possibly have to trade in a deal like that, AD and Max Christie…[But] one of the people I was thinking of the most in my head was just AR, because I knew how close he had gotten to Max and AD and I knew bringing in another primary ball handler would have implications for him,” stated Rob Pelinka on ESPN.

Despite early doubts, Austin Reaves has become one of the top players on the Los Angeles Lakers. He is having the best season of his career averaging 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. That makes him the third-highest scorer on the team, behind only LeBron James and Luka Doncic. In addition, his recent performances have been even more impressive. He has scored 30 or more points in three of his last five games.

After watching their impressive performance, Rob Pelinka shared his take on why the team’s three offensive stars have meshed so well: “My theory is basketball geniuses that love to win, find ways to work and click together…And we knew LeBron was a basketball savant, who wanted to win at the highest level. Obviously, Luka Doncic, a basketball savant, wants to win at the highest level. And AR is coming into his own there. He gets the game, he sees it. He can fit, really, with anybody.”

Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks

Austin Reaves receives surprising praise from Western Conference executive

It is just that nobody expected Austin’s level this season. Last season he was just another rotation player who did not stand out much. He even averaged 15.9 points and his place in the team was not completely assured. However, this season everything changed, JJ Redick was able to promote him by exploiting his versatile facet. This has allowed him to have a lot of playing time with two big stars like Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

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After Reaves’ level this season, many remember that he was not selected in the draft for the 2021 season. Because of this, a Western Conference executive told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin some surprising words from the Lakers star: “He’s the best undrafted player since Ben Wallace, and that guy’s a Hall of Famer,” ESPN reported.

With this performance, he could be a clear candidate for the NBA most improved player award. However, the final part of the season is still to come. There, a clear candidate could be defined, as Reaves is not alone. Dyson Daniels and Cade Cunningham are also candidates for the award. But if the Lakers star manages to maintain his level, it will be very difficult not to give him the award.