Dyson Daniels, Cade Cunningham, and Austin Reaves: What is common among them? It’s their improvement. Though Reaves remained stagnant last year, he showed improvement in almost every season and even helped anchor the Lakers whenever Luka Doncic or LeBron James were not playing. This put him right behind the two most important players of the team, and in the last ten games, he averaged 27.3 points and 6.1 assists. So could he win the award for the Most Improved Player?
Well, has shown enough growth to be considered for the award but when HC JJ Reddick was told Reaves was in the mix to win it, he stated, “I hate that award.” Surely enough, it has nothing to do with Reaves, but the coach feels the award has lost its glory. “I think the spirit of it has been taken out of whack. I don’t like that award. Just call it the ‘high draft pick that is on a max contract and now is an All-Star.’ Just call it that award. Who’s that guy? That’s what it’s become.”
While the HC has his views about the award, there are people who believe Reaves needs to win it. For instance, hours before Reddick made his views known, Lou Williams was out there advocating for the 26-year-old. He was on the ‘Run It Back on FanDuel TV,’ where he said:
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“Guys like Austin Reaves that are in the class are more likely to win it, you know, opposed to All-Star caliber guys. But again, if you are a guy that’s averaging 14 points and you come back the next year and you are averaging 25 or 26 points, you should be just as capable of winning that award as anybody else. So I don’t think there should be limitations because guys like this are unlikely to average 25.7 in 10 games and doing those kind of things. They are more likely to win it as opposed to anybody else. So I don’t want to see any limitations on it. But I definitely think this is something that Austin Reaves and other guys should be in the running for this type of award.”
Reaves’ regular season averages:
SeasonTeamNo. of GamesREBASTBLKSTLPTS2021-22Lakers613.21.80.30.57.32022-23Lakers643.03.40.30.513.02023-24Lakers824.35.50.30.815.92024-25Lakers674.55.90.31.119.9
However, Cade Cunningham seems to be the favorite so far for this award. The player appeared for the first time in the NBA All-Star game this season and is averaging 25.7 points and 9.2 assists per game.
Cunningham has taken flight this season not just as an individual but even elevating his team. Detroit was the laughingstock before the former number-one pick came. This season, he has averaged career-highs in points and assists and the Pistons are bound for the postseason for the first time since 2019.
via Imago
Mar 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) reacts in the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Well, it will certainly be interesting to see who ultimately wins the MIP award. But stories such as Reaves don’t come often. He was undrafted in 2021, with no measurable hopes set on his back. But now he is the backbone for one of the most prolific NBA franchises that garners all the spotlight. Austin Reaves is making waves and winning over the basketball fraternity with the maturity he displays. If not with an award, Reaves is winning by proving people wrong.
Austin Reaves forces an apology from Chandler Parsons!
The 26-year-old is averaging 19.9 points in his fourth season with the Lakers, a comfortable career high. However, what stands out is how much he holds back. In nine games without LeBron James in the lineup, his averages jumped to 27.9 points and 8.3 assists per game. JJ Redick can’t stop complimenting his importance within the team.
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And neither can some of the analysts and pundits around the NBA. Reaves is compelling the experts to acknowledge him. But not only that, he even made Chandler Parson go back on his words. The former Mavericks forward, in 2023, said the 26-year-old couldn’t grow much and was already approaching his ceiling. But after what he has seen now, Parsons didn’t mind admitting he was wrong.
Parsons was also with Lou Williams on the ‘Run It Back on FanDuel TV,’ and before the latter could go on applauding Reaves’ improvement, Parsons made his new thoughts known. He stated:
“Listen, I talked to Austin Reaves about this. I saw him at the game. It’s funny, he didn’t take it as an insult. People who don’t know him or anything about him took it as an insult, but that’s the world we live in. But listen, the dude is balling. He’s always been an efficient, smart, tough player… Listen, like I said 15/5/5 wasn’t an insult when I said that. I didn’t know how much room there was to grow. It’s 26 and 5 and that’s a big step up. So I was wrong, and he is playing really good and I’m happy for him.”
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To be fair, very few could have predicted Austin Reaves would keep getting better once Doncic entered the picture. He continues to compete with vigor each night and takes on a high degree of responsibility for the Lakers. If not for any award, Reaves is earning a lot of respect around the NBA, and it’s all well deserved. What do you think?
