D’Angelo Russell and the Los Angeles Lakers just caught a stray from the most unexpected source. NFL franchise, the Atlanta Falcons, posted an edited picture after their win over the Dallas Cowboys that featured D’Angelo Russell shooting shots. They were referencing the popular meme from the 2024 Lakers’ playoffs which made fun of Russell for practicing shots despite losses and poor performances.
Lakers D’Angelo Russell getting shots up after the Falcons win over the Cowboys pic.twitter.com/4JWAJxxaYG
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) November 3, 2024
Russell was heavily criticized, both jokingly, and in all seriousness, for practicing his shots after the game. Not because it was out of line, as everyone knows that getting reps whenever possible is a good thing.
But many felt that Russell was throwing up shots to avoid criticism or negative press for his poor performances. On top of that, many pointed out that his practicing shooting after games never seemed to translate into his shooting performances on the court during the playoffs.
During the 2024 NBA playoffs, Russell was abysmal, averaging 14.2 points, 4.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game.
Russell shot 28-73 from the field, putting up a shoddy 38.4% from the field, and 14-44% from the three-point line, making just 31.8% of his shots beyond the arc. This level of inefficiency is unacceptable, especially during the playoffs.
Russell has always been a mediocre defender at best, and a decent scorer. For the Lakers in their first-round series against the Nuggets, Russell was a serious liability on both ends of the court and made things extremely difficult for the Lakers.
The Lakers needed Russell, as they were trying to compete with, and upset, the reigning NBA champions Denver Nuggets, who had swept them the previous year.
Much like his performance in the 2023 Western Conference Finals against them, Russell was virtually anonymous against the Nuggets, as the Lakers would end up losing the series in five games and making a first-round exit.
Poor Start To Season From D’Angelo Russell
D’Angelo Russell’s struggles from the previous year’s playoffs have continued. Right now, Russell is arguably one of the Lakers’ most disappointing performers, averaging 12.2 points, 5.8 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game. He is currently shooting 40.3% from the field, and 29.4% from the three-point line.
We highlighted recently just how poor Russell has been for the Lakers. And against the Raptors, he seemed to have a much better performance than the first five games for the Lakers, as he put up 19 points, three rebounds, and six assists in the win, with 53.8% shooting from the field and 50.0% from the thee-point line.
But he will need to deliver such performances on a consistent basis for fans to stop being so critical of him.
Russell is a starter on the Los Angeles Lakers but has not played the kind of basketball that merits that kind of honor and prestige. Head coach JJ Redick spoke well about Russell heading into the preseason, but even he will be frustrated with the level D’Angelo Russell started the season off.
Given that the rest of the Lakers have performed so well, Russell’s poor performances are even more spotlighted. Fans of the purple and gold will hope that Russell can start playing consistently great basketball in the weeks to come.
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