3 Surprising players on first 2023 All-Star Game ballot release

2. G Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers

Considering the state of the Lakers in the last couple of years, it’s surprising they still have the support of fans who are desperate to see their players across the All-Star roster. Austin Reaves is another surprising addition to the top of the ballot.

Reaves is actually more of a starter than his mate, Westbrook, and playing his role well. That being said, he’s still largely a bench player. He’s started a third of the games he’s played in this season and won’t start again in the foreseeable future, as he’s out with a hamstring strain.

This is a player that didn’t even have a guaranteed contract coming into the season. The Lakers just guaranteed his deal for the rest of the year, perhaps in the hope Reaves would transform into the All-Star caliber player fans think they see.

Reaves is averaging 10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. He’s developing into a better shooter than he was last season, sporting a 64.5 true shooting percentage. Reaves is not a good defender, but he’s better than a year ago in that category too.

Normally, an All-Star is elite in at least one category – a close look at the leaderboards suggests that’s barely the case for the Wichita State alum. His true shooting percentage ranks just outside the top 20 in the league, while his 89.6 percent free throw shooting ranks 10th. That’s it.

Reaves was never profiled as someone with elite potential. The artist sometimes known as Hillbilly Kobe wasn’t drafted out of college and needed to break into the league via a two-way contract. That being said, he’s 24 years old and could still be worthy of an All-Star spot down the road.

Right now, there are approximately too many guards to count that deserve a trip to Salt Lake City more than Reaves.