Apr 8, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and guard Austin Reaves (15) high five after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Former NBA Veteran Makes Shocking Season Comparison for Austin Reaves and LeBron James

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Patrick Warren | Last updated Oct 30, 2025 5:30 PM ET

After being cemented as the Lakers' third scoring option behind Luka Doncic and LeBron James, guard Austin Reaves has suddenly found himself as the team's go-to guy.

His role as the leading scorer doesn't come without stipulations though, as Doncic and James are both injured. Doncic has missed the last two games with a left finger sprain and a lower left leg contusion and is expected to be back in the next few games according to head coach JJ Redick.

James, on the other hand, is not expected to be available until the second or third week of November as he continues to miss time due to sciatica on his right side.

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In the meantime, Reaves has made the most of his chance to run the Lakers' offense, scoring 51, 41 and 28 points in the last three games. In his 28-point performance against the Timberwolves, he added 16 assists, matching his career high.

With the inevitable return of Doncic and, eventually, James, Reaves' role in the Lakers' offense is sure to evolve from lead scorer to playing more of a supplementary role. He will still certainly get plenty of scoring opportunities, but Doncic and James will detract from Reaves' chances of more 51-point performances.

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However, some think that this is the year Reaves surpasses his future Hall of Fame teammate in production.

"At the end of the season, I think Austin Reaves' numbers will be better than LeBron James' numbers," nine-year NBA veteran Chandler Parsons said on FanDuel TV. "How many minutes is LeBron James gonna play? How many games is he gonna play? [Austin Reaves] is going to be, hopefully, consistent throughout the whole season."

"At the end of the season, I think Austin Reaves' numbers will be better than LeBron James' numbers." - Chandler Parsons

Boogie and Lou disagree with this take, do you?@MichelleDBeadle | @boogiecousins | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/n7tuZagcFk
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) October 30, 2025

Parsons cited James' age as the primary factor behind why he thinks the four-time MVP will have his least productive year. The Lakers have yet to announce specifics regarding their plan for load management for James, who will be 41 on Dec. 30, but it is expected that he will play fewer than the 70 games he played last season.

However, James is still a viable scoring option, even as he approaches Year 41. Last season, James averaged nearly 35 minutes per game, with 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists.

"We're talking about LeBron James. We're also talking about somebody who still averaged 24, 25 points last year," former NBA star Lou Williams said in response to Parsons. "Until we see something change in his play, besides injuries, he's still LeBron James."