From being constantly surrounded by trade rumors last season to rescuing the team from a 22-point deficit in the current season, Austin Reaves‘ role seems to have altered. The Crypto.com Arena crowd got to witness a more fierce side of the 26-year-old on Friday night, who looked perfectly capable of carrying the offensive duties of the Lakers. Besides astonishing the Suns with his 26 points, Reaves set up his teammates with 8 stunning opportunities to hit some open shots. Want to know what motivated the Arkansas-born to turn into a powerhouse? He revealed the answer in a post-game interview.

Following the 123-116 victory, Reaves told Mike Trudell that his inspiration came from a morning text he received from Lakers head coach JJ Redick. “When JJ text me at, like, 7 o’clock this morning I was still asleep. He obviously wasn’t, told me that he could see me having a big night tonight. So, you know, waking up to a text like that builds confidence in yourself,” the shooting guard stated.

That’s the kind of boost Reaves needed to elevate his performance. Instead of fixating his head on the lackluster shooting skills he showed in the previous game, Reaves focused on performing against the Suns. Redick not only helped the 6-foot-5 guard but the team as well with his pep talk during halftime.

“My coach said at halftime, we had a bad Q1, and we can’t afford to have another one. So, you know, that was basically the message. Go out there and play harder,” Reaves added. And the message was well received by the team.

While the Suns held a 9-point lead in the opening half, the Lakers took control in the latter by scoring 35 points and more in the last two quarters. The final results impressed the HC and admitted that even he didn’t anticipate the impact Reaves would have.

“Didn’t realize he was this good” – Austin Reaves’ performance leaves JJ Redick in disbelief

Austin Reaves was provided 37 minutes to show his talent and he lived up to the coach’s expectations. Actually, he went beyond it, as JJ Redick confessed in the post-game press conference. “Everyday, he keeps getting better and showing more. I knew he was good. I didn’t realize he was this good. He’s a fantastic basketball player,” the new HC said.

None of Reaves’ 3-pointers hit the target against the Timberwolves, but last night his off-court efforts showed when he successfully turned 5-of-7 shots into buckets from the deep. His rebounds dipped to 4, but he compensated for it with 3 steals and a block.

His overall performance deserved the praise that Redick showered on him and in the upcoming games, Reaves will be expected to deliver similar results and step up for the Lakers just like the franchise’s general manager envisioned every season.