Wednesday night in Minnesota, the Lakers arrived with a roster that resembled more of a patchwork team than a legitimate NBA squad. LeBron James and Luka Doncic were sidelined, along with Gabe Vincent, Marcus Smart, Maxi Kleber, and Adou Thiero-essentially, half the team was missing. Following a tough 122-108 loss to the Blazers on Monday, this game served as a true test. That’s when Austin Reaves stepped up. With a composed, decisive runner at the buzzer, he secured an 116-115 victory, propelling the Lakers to a 3-2 record.

The conversation on Inside the NBA got heated over the Jeremy Lin comparisons for Austin Reaves. Charles Barkley seemed open to the idea, while Shaquille O’Neal pushed back. The debate kicked off when Reaves was dubbed “I am the new Jeremy Lin,” recalling how Lin became a global sensation with “Linsanity” during his time with the Knicks.

Lin officially retired earlier this year, but the chatter about Reaves kept growing. Shaq wasn’t having it, constantly arguing that the comparison was a bit of a stretch. Chuck even jumped in, telling him, “Now stop it Shaq. Stop being a hater.” But Reaves has been on fire this season.

Who could forget his 51-point outburst against the Kings? Tonight wasn’t quite that insane, but he still delivered a standout performance with 28 points and tied his career high with 16 assists. The Inside the NBA crew couldn’t stop analyzing his game, and Jeremy Lin comparisons began circulating.

If you place Jeremy Lin and Austin Reaves side by side, the numbers paint a clear picture: Reaves holds the advantage in most areas (stats via Land of Basketball).

Starting with scoring, Reaves comfortably outpaces Lin. He averages 14.8 points per game in the regular season, compared to Lin’s 11.6. Even in the playoffs, Reaves has nearly doubled Lin’s output: 16.7 points to Lin’s 7.2. When it comes to playmaking, the gap is narrow, but Reaves still has a slight edge with 4.4 assists per game, just ahead of Lin’s 4.3. However, Lin did achieve a higher single-season peak, with 6.2 assists to Reaves’ 10.0, showing both have had strong performances as playmakers.

Defensively, Lin holds a slight edge in steals (1.1 to 0.8), while Reaves lags slightly in blocks. However, when it comes to shooting efficiency, Reaves takes the lead, shooting 48.2% from the field, 37% from three-point range, and 86.5% from the free-throw line- compared to Lin’s 43.3%, 34.2%, and 80.9%. In short, Lin paved the way for Reaves to thrive. Jeremy had his “Linsanity” moment, but Reaves is building something more consistent and, statistically, far more impressive.

Lakers head coach J.J. Redick didn’t hold back when talking about Austin Reaves after his red-hot start to the season. “What tier he is, I don’t know. I don’t care about that, but I think last year he established himself as a bad dude,” Redick said. “This is who he is.”

And it’s hard to argue. While LeBron James and Luka Dončić stayed back home to continue their recovery, both stars were quick to shower Reaves with praise online after his back-to-back masterclasses: a 51-point explosion against the Kings, followed by 41 in a loss to Portland. With those performances, Reaves etched his name into Lakers history, becoming the first player since Kobe Bryant, two decades ago, to open a season with five straight 25-plus-point games.

Austin Reaves: Stepping up as the Lakers’ guiding force

Critics often argue that LeBron James overshadows other talent on his teams, and in Austin Reaves’ case, it might just hold some truth. With neither LeBron nor Luka Dončić on the floor, Reaves has seized the moment, emerging as the leader his short-handed Lakers desperately needed.

As head coach J.J. Redick said, “The biggest thing was him taking a step forward as a leader. He knows this is as much his team as LeBron’s or Luka’s. He’s no longer the undrafted guy — he’s one of the guys now.”

Austin Reaves has been on another level lately, putting up jaw-dropping numbers: 35.8 points, 8.5 assists, and 6.8 rebounds on nearly 57% shooting over his last two games.

The Timberwolves game was pure highlight-reel stuff. With the Lakers down by one and just 6.6 seconds left, Jake LaRavia inbounded the ball to Reaves. Jaden McDaniels was all over him, and Rudy Gobert was waiting in the paint but Reaves didn’t flinch. 

He weaved through both defenders, pulled up from inside the free-throw line, and nailed the jumper as the buzzer sounded. The Lakers bench erupted.

Reflecting on the moment, Reaves said, “To have that opportunity for a big road win, especially with a lot of people out, is special. We kept hooping, and they kept encouraging me to go do what I do.”

It wasn’t just about the final shot, though, Reaves made sure his teammates shined, too. Jake LaRavia led the supporting cast with 27 points on 10-for-11 shooting, while Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura each added 17, and rookie Dalton Knecht chipped in 15 off the bench.

LaRavia, who joined the Lakers this offseason partly because of his bond with Reaves, summed it up perfectly after the win: “He’s a dog, he’s a leader, he’s a competitor.”