Skip Bayless boldly claims Austin Reaves

Wednesday night, Austin Reeves continued his hot start to the 2025-26 season with 28 points and 16 assists against the Minnesota Timberwolvestopped with the game-winning floater over Donte DiVincenzo as time expired. The Lakers built a 20-point lead in the second half at that point, but Reaves showed impressive poise when he got to his spot and hit a tough shot.

Reaves has already put together a winner this year, 51 points and 41 points in the absence of Luka Doncic and LeBron James, and more recently sports media personalities Skip Bailess took to X, formerly Twitter, with a brave challenge for any Reaves skeptics out there.

“Show me another undrafted former NBA player who is more successful than Austin Reeves. Show me more firepower. Show me more talent,” Bayless wrote.

While the undrafted designation was used throughout Reaves’ career to provide even more impressive context for his accomplishments, it should be noted that Reaves was undrafted by choice, telling teams not to draft him in order to reach his desired destination of the Lakers.

Still, that doesn’t make what he did this week any less impressive.

Huge development for the Lakers

If Austin Reaves is the borderline star-level player his play this week would indicate, it could completely recontextualize the expectations for the Lakers for the remainder of this season once Doncic and James are healthy.

There will always be major issues defensively with a backcourt of Doncic and Reaves, and the Lakers haven’t exactly done a great job of stacking three-and-D wings, so the team may not be in legitimate contention just yet because of those factors. However, Reaves’ explosive scoring ability could give the Lakers the ability to win matchups where they may not have been able to hold their own before.

It remains to be seen whether Reaves will be able to maintain this efficiency and confidence when demoted to his traditional off-ball role alongside Doncic and James.

Either way, the Lakers will next take the floor Friday night when they host the Memphis Grizzlies.