Latest on Austin Reaves' Status for Lakers vs. Suns After Calf Injury
Austin Reaves is back in the mix after a short stint off the court because of an injury.
Per ESPN's Dave McMenamin, the Los Angeles Lakers star has been upgraded to available for Tuesday night's contest against the Phoenix Suns. Reaves previously missed three games because of a mild left calf strain.
Reaves will get a welcome return from the Lakers, who have gone 2-1 in his absence. The fifth-year player is having a career season so far, putting up 27.8 points, 6.7 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from deep.
Reaves missed three games in November because of a groin injury, but has otherwise enjoyed a healthy season.
While Reaves previously took a backseat to LeBron James and then Luka Dončić once he joined the team, he's now a core part of the Lakers' big three.
"The biggest thing was him taking a step forward as a leader and recognizing that it's as much his team as it is LeBron's team or Luka's team," Redick said of Reaves in November. "And acknowledging that he does have innate, natural leadership skills and being able to tap into those more consistently. I told him, he's out of excuses. You're no longer the undrafted guy who's a young player. You're one of the [main] guys now, and he's been very responsive to that."
Reaves' rise to stardom has coincided with a strong start to the season for the Lakers, who currently sit in fourth place in the Western Conference at 19-8. With Reaves back in the mix, a pair of contests this week against the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets will be much easier.
