Austin Reaves Has High Praise for New Lakers Big Man Sandro Mamukelashvili

Austin Reaves wants Sandro Mamukelashvili to keep the ball after a rebound.

For a Los Angeles Lakers team building its offense around Luka Dončić and Reaves, that is a meaningful endorsement. The new big man has already earned enough trust that his teammates are comfortable letting him bring the ball up and make the next decision.

“He’s got such a high basketball IQ that if he gets the rebound, he should basically play the 1,” Reaves said, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

The praise points to a useful part of Mamukelashvili’s game. His value extends beyond providing a target for the Lakers’ guards. He can help initiate possessions himself, giving an offense with two established creators another way to get organized.

A defensive rebound can give an offense a brief opportunity before the opposing team sets its coverage. Having a big man capable of recognizing that opening makes the outlet pass optional.

Mamukelashvili can advance the ball while teammates run ahead, forcing defenders to account for the player bringing it up and the threats filling the lanes. Even when there is no immediate scoring opportunity, that approach can get the Lakers into their offense sooner.

It also gives Dončić and Reaves opportunities to receive the ball farther up the floor. Instead of starting every possession by collecting an outlet, they can move into position while Mamukelashvili handles the initial decision.

That does not mean every rebound should become a fast break. The important part of Reaves’ assessment is his confidence in Mamukelashvili’s judgment. Pushing when an advantage exists and slowing down when it disappears require the same awareness.

For a newcomer still learning his teammates, earning that confidence is an encouraging early development.

Playing alongside Dončić and Reaves requires more than waiting for an open shot. Supporting players must recognize when to cut, move the ball or attack a defense already reacting to the initial action.

Mamukelashvili’s ability to make those reads could help the Lakers avoid possessions that stall after the first option gets taken away. A willing passer in the frontcourt can keep an advantage alive without requiring the ball to return immediately to a guard.

The next step is carrying that decision-making into regular-season games, where opponents will have more detailed scouting reports and fewer possessions will come against experimental lineups.

There will also be nights when his most important contributions come through screening, rebounding and finishing rather than handling the ball.

Still, Reaves’ endorsement establishes why Mamukelashvili’s versatility matters. The Lakers have another player their guards trust to make a decision, and that could make their offense less dependent on either star organizing every possession.