A few weeks ago, Warriors coach Steve Kerr was asked what qualities he values most in a player. 

He brought up three traits: Someone who loves the game, loves their teammates and is loved by their teammates. 

Unprovoked, he then named an opponent as the embodiment of those qualities. 

“I see it with Austin Reaves,” Kerr said. “I coached him in the World Cup. I watch the Lakers. You can tell that everybody loves playing with him. He’s a competitor. He loves the game. Hard to find those qualities all the time, frankly, especially for somebody who has a lot of skill. Steph [Curry] you can find that.”

Reaves has made quite an impression on everyone around him.

He went from being undrafted to playing All-Star-caliber basketball. He went from growing up in a town with fewer than 1,200 people to becoming a sensation in Los Angeles. He went from being a two-way player to being up for a maximum contract extension this summer with the Lakers worth about a quarter of a billion dollars.

The one thing he has left to prove?

That he can consistently shine in the postseason.

Reaves first turned heads during the Lakers’ postseason run in 2023, in which he played a surprisingly important role in helping them reach the Western Conference Finals. After averaging just 13 points in the regular season, he exploded for 20-plus points in seven playoff games. 

But last postseason, Reaves notoriously struggled, averaging playoff career-lows in points (16.2) and field goal percentage (41.1%). 

After the Lakers were eliminated by the Timberwolves in their first-round series in five games, it came out that Reaves was playing through a significant left big toe sprain that made it painful to even walk.

Now all eyes will be on Reaves, who could make his postseason debut Wednesday. 

Reaves missed the first four games of the Lakers’ first-round series against the Rockets after sustaining an oblique sprain April 2. He will be a game-time decision for Game 5, with the Lakers leading the series, 3-1. 

“I want to get back out there as fast as I can,” Reaves said at Lakers practice Tuesday in his first interview since sustaining the injury. “But, like I said, I feel good and trending in the right direction. And can’t wait to wake up (Wednesday) and attack another day.”

Reaves has a lot riding on his return.

If he shines this postseason, he’d seemingly position himself as a shoo-in for a maximum contract extension (five years, $241 million with the Lakers or four years, $176.5 million elsewhere). 

If he struggles, well, that could dent his case. Even though Reaves established himself as a star this season, the playoffs leave the final impression.

Reaves is all but guaranteed to decline his $14.9 million player option to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

He opened the season as the first Laker with five straight 25-point games since Kobe Bryant in 2005, including stunning back-to-back 51-point and 41-point performances.

He went on to surpass LeBron James as the second offensive option behind Luka Doncic, hopscotching over arguably the greatest player of all-time who’s still playing like a superstar at age 41. 

But the playoffs are where names are made. 

So how did it feel for Reaves to be sidelined the last nine games, including four postseason contests?

“I’ve been pretty miserable,” Reaves said.

Reaves said he has done everything possible on and off the court to return, adding a sly smile for punctuation. He added that he has a high pain tolerance, so when something is bothering him, it usually means it’s significant. 

“The main thing is to get me back out there as fast as I can without putting myself at risk to re-injure myself,” Reaves said.

Now he’s on the brink of returning. 

And there’s so much more on the line than a second-round series against the Thunder.

Regardless of how Reaves performs, there’s going to be a big market for him. He’s earned that. But if he shines, he could catapult himself into another stratosphere. 

If Reaves plays to his potential on a playoff stage, he’d pretty much be signing the dotted line on a maximum contract extension. 

He’d go from clawing his way into the league to sitting in the rarefied air of the NBA’s most elite. 

But if he struggles, he could take a significant step back. 

For Reaves, the spotlight is on him. 

And how he performs under the bright lights is going to leave an indelible mark.