The Los Angeles Lakers retained a majority of their free agents this offseason, with one of those players being D’Angelo Russell. Though many have questioned the team’s decision to keep the point guard given the number of guards already on the roster, it seems as though the team had a good reason for doing so.
Coach Darvin Ham defended Russell against the critics, explaining that the point guard fits well with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
“We don’t get to the Western Conference Finals without D’Angelo. Make no mistake about that. His ability to play alongside LeBron and AD and his individual skill set, he’s a former NBA All-Star, a very young player still not getting into his groove yet in terms of hitting his prime.”
There is no doubt that Ham is right about Russell blending well with James and Davis on the offensive side of the ball. His ability to create his own shot while still being a good off-ball player is particularly valuable to the team, and he is likely to be the team’s starting point guard.
This past season, Russell averaged 17.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game while shooting 41.4% from the 3PT range. He can clearly be an effective No. 3 or No. 4 option behind the Lakers’ superstars, and we’ll see how Russell does this year, and whether he can earn a long-term big-money extension next season.
D’Angelo Russell Believes He Deserves A Lot Of Credit For How He Played With Lakers Last Season
There is no doubt that Russell was a solid player for the Lakers after he got traded by the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, a lot of people criticized after his poor Western Conference Finals performance against the Denver Nuggets. With that being said, his overall time with the Lakers was solid, and we shouldn’t judge him based on one playoff series. Previously, we saw Russell state that he deserves more credit for how he played with the Lakers after the trade deadline last season.
“They ain’t talking about it, Pat! The f**k I gotta do, Pat? You want me to play point guard, I played point guard. You want me to play shooting guard, what do y’all want from me, man? I’m going 40 for three, what y’all want man?”
Though it is fair to say that Russell was overall good with the Lakers, players are ultimately judged on how they perform in the playoffs. Hopefully, we see Russell thrive in the postseason with the Lakers this year, and we’ll see what happens in the future.
D’Angelo Russell Has A Chance To Show The Haters They Are Wrong About Him
This season, Russell can silence all the noise surrounding him with his play. The goal for him is to show that he can be a complementary player who hits timely shots, and improve a little on the defensive end. If he can do those things and help the Lakers get far in the playoffs, then he will be far more respected both by teams and by fans.
There is no doubt that Russell is talented on the offensive end. That is part of why the Lakers decided to keep him. You don’t let those sorts of players leave for nothing in free agency.
Ultimately, this team is Russell’s best chance of winning a championship next season. We will see how he ends up fitting on the new-look Lakers, and his having a big year could be huge for their championship hopes as well.
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