Los Angeles Lakers forward Austin Reaves broke out during his second NBA season en route to helping guide his team to the Western Conference Finals, and now he’s excelling for Team USA in the team’s ramp-up prior to the FIBA World Cup.

The undrafted ex-Oklahoma star’s game has elicited plenty of positive attention with his game, and Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges noted how the secret’s out.

“This ain’t no underdog s–t no more,” Bridges told Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times. “He’s here.”

Reaves scored 11 points (3-of-3 from three-point range) in just 11 minutes in a 98-88 win over Spain, marking the team’s third victory in three tries on its five-game exhibition tour (USA Basketball Showcase).

He began the tour with nine points, four rebounds and four assists in 19 minutes in a 117-74 win over Puerto Rico. Then Reaves added 11 points, five rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes in a 92-62 victory over Slovenia. Along the way, he’s shot 12-of-20 (60 percent) from the field 6-of-10 from three-point range.

Numerous people praised Reaves’ game to Woike, whose feature on Reaves dropped Sunday. One of them was Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and USA Basketball Director Grant Hill.

“…There’s a lot of depth to his game,” Hill said in part. “If at first glance you think he’s a spot-up shooter, no. He’s a baller. That’s what he is.”

Bridges had more to say on Reaves too.

“I’ve been a fan. … I think the biggest thing about him I like is that he knows how to draw a foul,” Bridges said. “He knows how to create fouls and get to the free-throw line and that’s like a skill. He’s not just getting there. There’s a skill to that and it’s very underrated. People don’t really understand it but the ones that do, they know how tough it is to guard.”

Reaves added 19.8 points on 56.7 percent shooting, 5.8 assists and 3.7 rebounds in his final 13 regular-season games to help push the Lakers into the playoffs. During that stretch, he joined the starting lineup, where he stayed through all three rounds of the postseason. The 25-year-old then added 16.9 points, 4.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game in the playoffs.

The NBA and international stages haven’t proven to be too much for Reaves, who will continue his journey with Team USA on Friday when they face Greece.

credit: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10086148-lakers-austin-reaves-praised-by-mikal-bridges-this-aint-no-underdog-s–t-no-more