Austin Reaves may not look like a DC Comics superhero, but his on-court performances suggest he’s got the ability to save the day when called into action.

Reaves’s ability to step into different roles makes him the perfect running mate for NBA superstar Luka Doncic. The fifth-year Los Angeles Lakers guard is comfortable playing a supporting role. He is comfortable in having the ball in his hands, and he’s comfortable in not having the ball in his hands all the time.

He’s also one of the best clutch players in the league, making it imperative for the Lakers to re-sign him to a long-term contract.

Reaves has had a remarkable basketball odyssey. He was an undrafted free agent out of the University. He played his way onto the Lakers’ roster on a two-way contract before earning a guaranteed contract. And he’s gotten better and better each year.

He bumped up his scoring average to 20.2 points per game in 2025, which is 13 points better than his total as a rookie. Through the first two weeks of the 2025-26 season, Reaves is averaging an eye-popping 31.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 9.3 assists. Those are All-Star numbers.

His multi-faceted game fits with any superstar. He can play off LeBron James or Doncic. Having earned his spot, he navigates changing roles and minutes easily—coming off the bench, starting, or being the primary, secondary, or tertiary option as needed.

He’s capable of dropping 51 points or 41 points. He’s capable of dishing out 16 assists, and the offense can run through him. He’s got the complete game. He can be the primary ball handler, he can score at three different levels, and he shoots an 86% clip from the free throw line. He can get to the line. He has an uncanny ability to draw fouls, using his body well to draw contact.

He is a low-maintenance, unique star player. While not yet an All-Star, he can fill that role if needed.

Each time LeBron or Luka sits or misses a game, Reaves seamlessly slides into the starring role for the Lakers. When LeBron or Luka return to the court, AR goes back to being No. 2 or No. 3 without a hitch. That’s quite a remarkable skill when you think about it. Many NBA players, such as Zach LaVine, Bradley Beal, and Russell Westbrook, don’t easily fit in. LaVine hasn’t changed his ways since he entered the league, whether it’s in Minnesota, Chicago, or Sacramento. Beal has struggled to find his groove at his last two stops (Phoenix and L.A.) after a successful run in Washington. Westbrook has played for six different teams since leaving Oklahoma City because it took him a while to figure out how to be a role player after being the focal point with the OKC Thunder.

Reaves has no trouble handling changing roles. His game is fluid. AR can adapt to any system, and he can do it without changing his game too much.

He has a super-high basketball IQ, and one of his greatest attributes is his capacity to remain calm during high-pressure situations. The Arkansas native has developed a reputation as a player who thrives in late-game situations for the Lakers, earning the trust of coaches and teammates.

“That guy is gonna show up in the big moments,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said of Reaves.

“He’s done that many times in his career,” Redick continued. “He’s done that many times since I’ve been his coach. I feel very comfortable with him making decisions in the late game.”

In his rookie season, Reaves hit a game-winning three-pointer against the Dallas Mavericks in overtime, providing an early sign of his “clutch” gene.

In his first playoff appearance, Reaves was given an opportunity to close the game, and he delivered. He dropped a 3-pointer to put the Lakers ahead 118-112 with 2:04 left. Then, he came off an Anthony Davis screen, beat two defenders (Tyus Jones and Dillon Brooks), and hit an off-balance jumper in the paint that iced the game with 1:30 left. He turned to the Lakers bench and screamed, “I’m him! I’m him!”

And this season, with LeBron and Luka both out with injuries, Reaves stepped up and delivered one of his most dramatic moments. He hit a one-legged floater at the buzzer after splitting two defenders in Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels to secure a 116-115 victory for an undermanned Lakers squad. This shot was particularly significant as it came in the same arena where he had missed a potential game-tying shot in the previous year’s playoffs, marking a moment of redemption.

The buzzer-beating shot capped off an outstanding overall performance by Reaves as he finished with 28 points and 16 assists in 40 minutes.

Closing the show is what star players do, and Reaves has closed the show on multiple occasions.

Reaves, who is only 27, will become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026. He is projected to receive around $30-$40 million per year. The Lakers can offer him a five-year deal, while others can only put down a four-year offer.

The Lakers are in a strong position to provide Reaves with the best opportunity to grow and succeed. They have stability at the top with new majority owner Mark Walter, who also owns World Series champion L.A. Dodgers. The Lakers have stability at the coaching level with Redick signed through the 2029-30 season. The Lakers also have a franchise player in Luka.

Doncic and Reaves are developing a close relationship on and off the court. They can often be seen laughing and joking on the bench during time-outs, and the banter sometimes extends beyond the game and spills over during post-game interviews. They genuinely like each other. This type of bond is similar to what Luka experienced with Kyrie Irving in Dallas.

It would be a smart move for the Lakers to continue the Doncic-Reaves partnership going. Whatever LeBron decides to do won’t make much of a difference as long as the Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka does his job and locks up Reaves long term.

AR is the homegrown star the Lakers can’t afford to lose.

All-Stars Amare Stoudemire (left) and Carmelo Anthony are struggling to find a common ground in coach Mike D'Antoni's offense.

In Gotham City, Batman always rules while Robin plays second fiddle. Batman owns Wayne Enterprise and Wayne Manor, has the coolest Mancave, and drives the Batmobile. Do you ever see Robin driving the Batmobile? I don’t think so. The unwritten rule of Gotham implies that Batman never has to take a backseat to anyone.

When it comes to the New York Knicks, the same fictitious law applies. Since the arrival of Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks have become HIS team. Melo takes the majority of the shots, he’s the No. 1 option on offense, and he’s the main attraction at Madison Square Garden. So, where does Amare Stoudemire fit in the Knicks’ playbill? Because ‘Melo is such a strong figure on and off the court, Amare has been snubbed like a Hollywood supporting actor. When you watch the Knicks, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out who is Batman and who is Robin. But this wasn’t the case last season when the offense went through Amare.

As The Man, he averaged 25 points per game, taking almost 20 shots per game and shooting 50% from the field. He also gave more of an effort on the defensive end, as he blocked 1.9 shots. Stoudemire was such a force his name was brought up in the MVP race.

How things have changed in just a few short months.

Stoudemire has lost his starring role on the team and now relegated to the supporting cast. All those plays called for Stoudemire have been redirected to Anthony. All those isolation sets that were drawn up for Stoudemire are now being called for Anthony. Through the first quarter of the 2011-12 season, Stoudemire’s shot attempts are down (from 19 to 15) and his scoring average has taken a huge hit (down from 25 to 18). Meanwhile, Anthony leads the team with 20 shots attempts per game and averaging nearly 24 points, which easily tops the team.

When the Knicks acquired Anthony from Denver, coach Mike D’Antoni thought he could work in both ‘Melo and Amare in his player-friendly offense. Instead, Anthony and Stoudemire are competing for shots in D’Antoni’s system. Anthony is gobbling up all the best shots, leaving Stoudemire with the crummy ones. So far, New York is not big enough to house two superstars with giant egos.

Last season when Stoudemire was heavily featured and he had a decent point guard in Raymond Felton to feed him the ball off screen-and-rolls, the Knicks offense was clicking on all cylinders. This season, the Knicks’ screen-and-roll game has been dicey at best because the guard play has been very shoddy. The run-and-gun, 100-point games have been replaced by a very dull, uninspired basketball that usually ends with Anthony jacking up a shot after dribbling the entire 24-second shot clock. So much for D’Antoni’s seven-seconds-or-less mantra.

The dream season that started so promising has turned into a nightmare. D’Antoni’s job is on a week-to-week basis, while Stoudemire is turning into Charles Smith. It got so bad for Amare that ‘Melo even felt sorry for him at one point. He went out of his way to try to incorporate Amare into the offense that he took just seven shots, scoring one point, in the Jan. 24 game against the Charlotte Bobcats. That generosity lasted just one game as ‘Melo went back to Sir Shoot-a-Lot the next game.

What the Knicks need is a veteran point guard (a Commissioner Gordon) to keep Amare and ‘Melo in check, someone who also knows D’Antoni’s system and would love to have one more shot at winning a championship. Jeremy Lin may have solved the problem for now, but he still has to prove it for an entire season. Lin-mania has gripped New York and he may have saved D’Antoni’s job – for now. Lin’s future will depend on how the Knicks finish the season. If the Knicks reach the second round or conference finals, Lin could be that long-term solution. If not, don’t be surprised if D’Antoni makes a phone call to Steve Nash and dangles one of his stars (‘Melo or Amare) in trade talks in the offseason.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.