There haven’t been too many positives for the Los Angeles Lakers after an 0-5 start to the preseason, but Austin Reaves has been a pleasant surprise.

Reaves, a 23-year-old undrafted rookie out of Oklahoma, originally signed a two-way contract with L.A. immediately after the 2021 draft concluded.

He featured for the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League teams, and the Lakers eventually bumped him up to the guaranteed roster.

So far, that move seems to be paying off.

With a roster loaded with age and experience, Reaves is a breath of fresh air with his age and possible future with the franchise.

Through five preseason games, Reaves is averaging 8.0 points, 2.0 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 20.4 minutes per game while shooting 44.4% overall, 42.9% from deep and 100% from the free-throw line. Lakers star LeBron James praised his game.

“I watched a lot of film on him when we drafted him, actually. I knew right away that he could be an NBA player and play at this level,” James said after the loss to the Golden State Warriors. “His size, his shot-making ability, his pick-and-roll play, his passing, a high IQ kid. And he’s got a lot of dog in him, too, that translates to our game.”

Reaves said the opportunity to learn various aspects of the game from some of the league’s smartest players, like James and Rajon Rondo, has been a huge help to his start in the NBA.

“It’s Rondo, and everybody knows the pedigree he has, the foundation that he’s set. He’s looked at as one of the highest basketball IQs in the game. Just having him on the team and just someone that I can just ask questions to all the time is a big help for me,” Reaves said. “I just want to be a sponge in those types of situations. It’s not just him. I ask coach questions, LeBron questions, I go down the line. I just want to learn and, like I said, be a sponge and take everything in.”

With the bevy of injuries to guards like Malik Monk, Talen Horton-Tucker, Wayne Ellington and Kendrick Nunn, Reaves has a chance to possibly fight for more minutes if his impressive stretch persists.