With the season pretty much over for the Los Angeles Lakers, fans couldn’t help but call out veteran guard D’Angelo Russell, who was caught in some questionable behavior during the game. In footage that has gone viral amidst Lakers Nation, D’Angelo can be seen on his phone, completely checked out during a team huddle late into the game.
D’Angelo Russell wouldn’t even join the Lakers huddle 😳 pic.twitter.com/QSKsHlWcqu
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) April 26, 2024
D’Angelo had a pretty solid Game 2 performance, dropping 23 points and 6 assists in 38 minutes of action. He was expecting big games for the return to Los Angeles tonight, but he finished with zero points on 0-7 shooting including 0-6 from downtown.
Russell was off his game for this one and he felt major frustration as he struggled to get it going all night long. Eventually, Darvin Ham had no choice but to bench D’Angelo and that’s probably why he appeared so disinterested and checked out during the final moments of the contest.
Despite the Lakers’ best efforts, they had no answer for the Denver Nuggets in the second half, who once again came back from behind to take down the competition and build a 3-0 lead in the series. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray combined for 46 points, but it was the supporting cast that shined for Denver in this one. Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon both dropped over 20 points and the bench more than held their own with the starters being out.
While the season is not technically over for Los Angeles, this was the last chance for the Lakers to make this a competitive series before being sent home in defeat. But now, after losing their 11th straight against this team, the Lakers have abandoned all hope of making a comeback and the future of the entire roster is in question. For D’Angelo Russell specifically, it’s looking increasingly likely that he will not be back in the Purple and Gold next year.
D’Angelo Russell Is Likely To Be Traded In The 2024 Offseason
It was D’Angelo Russell’s shooting that originally led last year’s charge to the West Finals. After swapping out Russ with D’Lo, the team was able to operate with much more flexibility on offense and Russell’s status as a perimeter threat meant that he also provided crucial floor spacing to free up the paint for the two superstars.
Through 76 games this season, Russell was a hero for the Lakers and he was arguably their third-best player for most of the year with averages of 18.0 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game on 45.6% shooting. His confidence was at an all-time high coming into the post-season and he was talking boldly about his play in the series after Game 2.
However, inconsistency has been the story of Russell’s career, and it seems that he tends to vanish when his team needs him the most. This year, even after a stellar campaign for the Lakers, Russell is unable to be consistently great and he hurt his team tonight in a must-win game.
This summer, expect the young point guard to be on the trade block and his name will surely be in the mix for various trade packages over the next few months. Fortunately, trade talk is something that Russel has grown accustomed to after almost a decade of non-stop chaos.
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