Time and time again in recent years, Lakers fans have watched a young guard blossom from afterthought to impactful role player. From Alex Caruso to Talen Horton-Tucker (kind of!) to now Austin Reaves, the franchise keeps churning out guards regardless of whether they’re second round picks or even drafted at all.
Reaves had already put together a strong season before he broke out in a big way on Sunday with his career-high 35 points. It was a performance strong enough that it actually earned him a Western Conference Player of the Week nomination.