Austin Reaves was wanted by the German national team and it was thought that he would suit up for it at some, but in an unexpected turn of events he received a call up from Team USA and accepted it instead.
Team USA head coach Steve Kerr explained his decision to include the Lakers shooting guard on the team, saying that he is one of the rising players in the NBA.
“For me after watching him kick our butt for six straight games in the Western Conference Semis it was a pretty easy choice,” Kerr said about Reaves. “I think Austin is one of the rising young players in this league. And what you look for in FIBA is versatility, you want size defensively the ability to switch and guard multiple positions. And then you want playmaking. You want guys who can make shots, but also put the ball on the floor and are good passers.
“Austin to me is a basketball player. He’s a guy who impacts winning at a really high level. His story is pretty amazing given that he was undrafted two years ago and now here he is playing for Team USA and being of the Lakers top three players. It’s not an accident. This guy can play and we have no doubt that he’s going to make a big impact for our team in the Philippines.”
Last season Reaves averaged 13 points, 3 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 28.8 minutes per game for the Purple and Gold.
