The Los Angeles Lakers have quickly become one of the best teams in the NBA during the 2025-26 campaign, with the storied franchise getting off to a red-hot start, winning 15 of their first 19 games and seven straight heading into Monday’s matchup against the division rival Phoenix Suns.
Although many anticipated superstar Luka Dončić to get his game to another level after dedicating himself to a body and mindset transformation over the summer, Austin Reaves has been the big surprise for the Lakers this season, as he is following up a career year with a sensational performance to start the 2025-26 campaign.
Reaves is having such a good year thus far that Suns head coach Jordan Ott believes he deserves an All-Star nod.
Suns’ Ott Dubs Lakers’ Reaves an ‘All-Star’
Ott made it clear ahead of the matchup with the Lakers that Reaves is deserving of earning his first All-Star selection, according to Duane Rankin of Azcentral.com.
‘You could see his ability to be a chameleon basically on both ends of the basketball as he was learning. His path is definitely unique. You could see him growing and growing to now, he’s an All-Star.”
Suns coach Jordan Ott on Austin Reaves as Ott was an Lakers assisant for two… https://t.co/lolxEYgqCI pic.twitter.com/Iaue0onCIj
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 2, 2025
“You could see his ability to be a chameleon basically on both ends of the basketball as he was learning,” Ott said of Reaves. “His path is defensively unique. You could see him growing and growing to now, he’s an All-Star.”
Ever since the undrafted guard signed with the Lakers in 2021, the Oklahoma product has improved year after year, going from a player simply wanting to make the roster to cracking the rotation and becoming a starter for the storied franchise in Los Angeles.
As if ascending to the starting lineup wasn’t impressive enough, Reaves is in the conversation for being one of the best scoring guards in the NBA, while sharing the spotlight in the Lakers with two bona fide superstars, who will go down as two of the greatest players of all time.
Heading into Monday’s game against the Suns, Reaves is averaging 28.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. All of those numbers are career-high totals, with the 27-year-old guard showing no signs of slowing down.
Although it will be tough for Reaves to secure an All-Star selection in the Western Conference, with such a stacked list of guards that will likely be no-brainer selections, like his teammate Dončić and reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Lakers guard can’t be ignored if he continues to torch the nets on a nightly basis this season.