Nick Young made a bold comparison on Gil’s Arena, suggesting that Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves could be a better No. 2 option than Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving at this stage of their careers.
“Hear me out… right now at this stage, I’m not saying overall, is AR a better number two option than Kyrie?” Young asked, prompting Gilbert Arenas to walk away in disbelief.
Young continued, emphasizing the present-day comparison rather than Irving’s prime years.
“Right now, not overall… don’t think of Kyrie back in the day, think of Kyrie right now. How much is AR averaging as the number two option without LeBron?”
“Like I f*ckin’ said…Remember when LeBron was out he had 40. Think about all the buckets he gets.”
Nick Young’s take on Austin Reaves being a better number 2 option than Kyrie Irving right now has Gil switching sides
(via @GilsArenaShow)pic.twitter.com/IxP1QZ4oZP
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 19, 2025
Nick Young fuels debate over Austin Reaves vs. Kyrie Irving comparison
When it was revealed that Reaves is averaging 28.6 points, 8.4 assists, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game on 49% shooting from the field and 43.9% from three in the eight games without LeBron James, Arenas returned and applauded Young’s argument.
“Like I f*ckin’ said… Remember when LeBron was out he had 40. Think about all the buckets he gets,” Arenas said.
Irving, before suffering an ACL tear, had been averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.1% from deep in 50 games.
Another key factor in the discussion is age. Reaves, 26, is in his fourth season, while Irving, 32, was in his 14th season before the injury. Young’s comments have sparked debate about whether Reaves’ production in James’ absence makes him a more effective secondary option than Irving in 2024.
Lou Williams dismisses Reaves as Lakers’ top third option
Lou Williams also weighed in on Reaves’ role on FanDuel’s Run It Back, downplaying the notion of Reaves being an elite third option.
“This is not a diss to Austin Reaves, he’s not even the best third option in Los Angeles. Would you take Austin Reaves or would you take Norman Powell? I close my case… that’s not even like a real thing. A third option isn’t a thing.”
Williams further explained his stance.
“He’s a great third option for the team that he plays for but let’s stop the best third option thing. I don’t want his fans upset about something that’s not even real. So, he’s a great third option for the team that he is on and the way that he plays – he’s a great basketball player but it’s not even a real thing.”
“This is not a diss to Austin Reaves, he’s not even the best 3rd option in Los Angeles. Would you take [him] or would you take Norman Powell? … He’s a great option 3rd option for the team that he plays for.”
– Lou Williams
(via @RunItBackFDTV)pic.twitter.com/YLC5t60347
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 19, 2025
Powell, in his 10th season and currently with the Los Angeles Clippers, is having a career year. The 31-year-old is averaging 23.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 49% from the field and 42.3% from three across 48 contests.
As the debate continues, Reaves remains a key contributor for the Lakers, who are 42-25. Over his last five games, he has averaged 28.0 points, 7.6 assists, seven rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 48.5% from the field and 40% from three.
The Lakers will face the Denver Nuggets (44-25) on Wednesday at 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, looking to close the gap in the Western Conference standings.
The post NBA news: Nick Young’s audacious Austin Reaves-Kyrie Irving take has Gilbert Arenas losing it appeared first on ClutchPoints.
