Josh Reaves' NBA Opportunity Is Here
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July 18-24, 2019 Vol. 119, No. 65 HOOP DREAMS Josh Reaves’ NBA opportunity is here BY TYLER KING THE DAILY COLLEGIAN Josh Reaves was recently in a mall in the Las Vegas area when he heard a faint ‘We Are’ chant in the distance. It’s not the place many would expect to hear that distinct Penn State chant, but for Reaves, who just wrapped up his first NBA Summer League experience, it’s not a surprise. “I’ve always said this, Penn State travels,” Reaves told The Daily Collegian last week. “I’ve seen a bunch of people out here in Penn State shirts. It’s always been that way when we’ve been on the road or at neutral sites.” Even though he’s now living out his lifelong dream in the NBA, things haven’t changed much for Reaves. He’s still wearing blue and white as a member of the Dallas Mavericks and he’s still caus- ing Penn State fans to salivate on Twitter with highlights that include everything from alley-oop passes to stealing the ball and throwing down a dunk on the other end. “Having that support from alumni and the university means a lot just knowing that they’re behind me,” Reaves said. This year’s NBA Summer League was a particularly special one for Penn State as it was the first time the program has had two former players participate, with Reaves playing with the Mavericks and Tony Carr playing with the New Orleans Pelicans for a second straight year. Current Nittany Lion Lamar Stevens said on Wednesday said “it was awesome” to see two of his former teammates playing in summer league. “They’re both really good guys, so just seeing them put on that platform and playing in the NBA Summer League — I was proud to watch them,” Stevens said. Should Reaves make the Mavericks roster this season, he’ll become just the second for- mer Penn State player currently in the NBA. Tim Frazier, who signed a contract with the Detroit Pistons this offseason, is the only Nittany Lion currently on an NBA roster and has been the only former Nittany Lion in the NBA for quite some time. There haven’t been too many opportunities for the Penn State program to point to past players in the NBA and say to recruits, “Look where our players end up.” But Reaves could be that recruiting pitch the Pat Chambers and company are look- ing for. “Now that [representing Penn State at the next level is] an opportunity of mine, I’m going to try and make the most of it,” Reaves said. “Like [Chambers] said, just pave the way forward and be the best basketball player I can be, whatever level it’s at, for whatever team it’s for and for however long I can.” If Reaves is able to have a long NBA career, it will likely be because of his defen- sive abilities. In five summer league games, Reaves averaged over one assist per game and made a handful of the prototypical steal into a transition dunk plays that we saw on numerous occasions during his four seasons in Happy Valley. One of his best sequences in Vegas came in a game against the Croatian na- tional team. He blocked a 3-point attempt on the perimeter and finished a layup at the other end after a smooth eurostep. “Everything he’s doing –– nothing is surprising us,” Chambers said on Wednesday. “His statistics speak for themselves. I knew he would translate to that level because he’s incredibly talented [and] gifted, his instincts, his anticipation.” Reaves is well aware of what is calling card is, but he’s also trying to be- come more of a playmaker on offense, something he was tasked with doing a lot in his final season at Penn State. “I’m going to be the same type of player [as at Penn State]. But at the same time, I’m just trying to grow and develop my game,” Reaves said. “Throughout the pre-draft workouts, I was really just working on creat- ing my shot off the dribble and playing off the dribble in general. A lot of the workouts had me as one of the guards, bringing the ball up, going through pick-and-rolls and stuff like that. In the system with the Mavs, it’s helping me showcase those skills. “I’ve always tried to be a playmaker when I have the ball in my hands,” Reaves added. “It definitely helped playing [point guard] for a bit when I was at [Penn State]. I’ve always had that mentality to try to get my teammates and open try to create for others. If the opportunity presents itself for me to score, I’ll score.” He showed an ability to hit 3-pointers off screens with the Mavs at summer league and seemed comfortable on an NBA court. “The spacing on an NBA court really helps me out,” Reaves said. “There’s a lot of places to cut, a lot of places to move and create op- portunities.” On the surface, Reaves didn’t have the best performance shooting the basketball in his five summer league games, going 8-for-25 from beyond the arc. But the willingness to shoot was there, and that’s going to need to continue in order for Reaves to stick. If he does end up securing a two-way contract, the maximum num- ber of days he can spend with the Mavs during the season is 45 days. The rest of the time, he’ll be with Dallas’ G-League affiliate, the Tex- as Legends, where every day and every game is a grind. “People are out here fighting for spots,” Reaves said. “I’m just trying to take it all in and enjoy the process.” To email reporter: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @King_TylerB. Photo by Monica Borja, courtesy of Mavs.com PAGE 2 | JULY 18-24, 2019 LOCAL THE DAILY COLLEGIAN Alumnus models Tommy Hilfiger Grace Miller having more fun outside the party to cut you. 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But there’s fun,” Palmer said. just because ‘I just made an His disability impacted him in said. “Going to Penn State really something about him that sets The pair spent the night error,’” he said. “It was ‘I made an other ways in high school, too, put that out front and center.” him apart from most mainstream learning more about each other error because I have one arm.’” when he started to care more Lucas said Penn State models — he was born with one and finding they had similar Lucas says he was fortunate to about physical appearance — introduced him to a number of arm. interests. have a natural level of athleticism especially regarding how girls passions, including working out, Though he experienced “As time went on,” Palmer — he went on to play semi- would see him. which was his main motivation challenges throughout his life, said, “We both kind of found that pro baseball and competitive In high school, he said for a while. Through being health the actor and model embraced we both liked to have fun, but at basketball. he became close with a girl conscious, Lucas said he learned his differences in the clothing the same time, we both found One of Lucas’ close friends, he talked to every day. He more about self-love. line, which features clothing ourselves asking those big ‘what Dan Pelberg, remembers playing remembers her calling him one After graduating with a degree specifically made for people with do we want to do with our life’ baseball against Lucas when they night crying, and asked her what in psychology, Lucas became an disabilities. questions and how do we find a were kids. was wrong. alcohol and drug counselor, where Some of the clothing includes meaningful life and how do we “He was the kid with one arm “She was, like, ‘You know, all he found that he could connect pants with magnets instead of contribute?” who was a great athlete,” Pelberg the girls were talking about how with people over the experience zippers or buttons and button-up Palmer said that he and Lucas said. “When you’re a kid, it’s easy hot you would be if you didn’t have of struggles and suffering, even shirts with magnets in place of are still best friends. to remember that.” one arm.’ At that time, it didn’t if they weren’t exactly the same. buttons. “We really confided in one Pelberg said that the really hit me… I kind of moved “I felt I could be a better “Everyone should have [these another to figure out what we two of them were very past it.” counselor because of my own clothes],” Lucas said.