Austin Reaves has been playing amazingly lately, with many calling him the best third option in the league. Since LeBron James went down with an injury, Reaves has been able to pick up the slack. The Lakers have gone 2-3 without LeBron in the past five games, but you cannot put much of it on Austin. However, there is one person who doesn’t believe the Reaves hype.
Former Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams Thinks Austin Reaves Hype Should Stop
The NBA has been a Big Three league for a while. Of course, the new CBA aims to change that, but some teams like the Lakers can afford to have three big-name players on their roster. With the way he has been playing lately, Reaves has earned praise as the best third option in the league. But not many people agree with that.
Former NBA Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams believes that is not a thing. Williams is the NBA’s career leader in points off the bench and has played most career games off the bench. Speaking on FanDuel TV, he said,
“This is not a diss to Austin Reaves, he’s not even the best 3rd option in Los Angeles. Would you take him or would you take Norman Powell? He’s a great option for the team that he plays for.”
Later on, he also talked about how the third option is not even a real thing. He said,
“That is not even a real thing. The third option is not a thing. He is a great third option for the team that he plays for. Let’s stop the best third option thing. It’s not a real thing. I don’t want his fans upset about something that is not even real.”
Austin Reaves vs. Norman Powell as Best Third Option
Now that Williams suggested a Reaves vs. Norman Powell debate, let’s take a look at who has had a better year. One thing to mention, Powell was considered an All-Star snub this year. He was playing at an All-Star level. Yet, that was without Kawhi Leonard, who is the first option on the team. You can say Powell had his best games as the first or second option alongside James Harden. It is the same now that Reaves is flourishing without LeBron.
Yet, for argument’s sake, let’s take a look at their seasons. For the season, Powell averages 23.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.3 steals on 49% shooting from the floor and 42.3% from three-point range. Reaves, on the other hand, averages 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1.2 steals on 44.6% shooting from the floor and 36.6% from behind the arc.
But in his last five games, Reaves has had games of 30, 28, 37, 28, and 17 points. In one game, he posted a stat line of 37 points, 13 assists, and rebounds. He has also taken on a leadership role for the Lakers. Looking at their highest-scoring games, Austin scored 45 points in a win against the Pacers on February 8th. Powell’s season-high is 41 points in an overtime win against the Jazz on February 13th.
Photo credit: © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
