Lakers News: Frank Vogel Saw All-NBA Player Comp For A Rookie Austin Reaves

Former Los Angeles Lakers and now Phoenix Suns head coach Frank Vogel, who won a title with Los Angeles in 2020 and spent one season coaching Austin Reaves, had a really understandable player comparison for him, as Mike Trudell of Lakers.com details:

Vogel said he remembers when LAL Asst. GM/Dir. of Scouting Jesse Buss gave the coaching staff film on Austin Reaves as a potential draft pick or undrafted FA, and thought of him as a smaller or poor man’s Luka Doncic, elite in screen/roll, and expected he’d improve as a shooter.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) October 27, 2023

Vogel's comparison of Reaves to Dallas Mavericks All-NBA guard Luka Doncic is definitely a compliment to Reaves, as Luka has been a top player in the league since his arrival in 2018.

Their playing styles are fairly similar, at least when it comes to their limited emphasis on speed, burst, and quickness, and more on finesse and timing. Both players always seem to be playing at their own pace, unfazed by varying defensive coverages understanding how to manipulate the defense.

Reaves, like Luka, is elite in the pick-and-roll, and, like Luka, has improved as a shooter. While Doncic's 3-point percentage isn't particularly high, he shoots them at a high volume and they're often difficult shots, leading to him being a well-respected shooter across the league.

Reaves, while on lower volume, shot 44% from 3 in the postseason, indicating his ability to potentially develop into a lethal 3-point shooter.

The major difference between the two, as Vogel mentions, is size. Luka isn't just two inches taller (6'5" vs 6'7"), but he's around 30 pounds heavier (197 lbs vs 230 lbs).

This influences a lot of their games, as you'll often see Luka backing down defenders from the 3-point line, whereas Reaves almost can't utilize his body outside of initiating contact on the way up for a layup or floater. The height difference also enables Luka to finish in traffic easier, as well as shoot over taller defenders.

Even with their physical differences, you can definitely understand where Vogel was coming from. The emphasis both players place on finesse, timing, and basketball IQ while on the court is easy to notice, and should lead to longer and successful careers than most other players.

Are you following us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or LA Sports Report yet? Join the conversation as we discuss the latest Lakers news and rumors with fans like you!