Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell has been red-hot lately, and he’s making no attempts to hide it. Speaking on ‘The Backyard’ podcast, D’Angelo Russell made his latest statement on his performance this season, and it has gone viral online.
“I got two left feet… I can barely jump….and I’m busting y’all favorite players ass,” said Russell confidently.
After a sluggish start to the season, D’Lo has rounded into form over the past few months. Against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, he was a key factor in the upset win, scoring 26 points on 5-11 shooting from three.
For the season, Russell is up to 17.8 points, 6.2 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game on 46.7% shooting. He has emerged as the Lakers’ third-best player right now and continues to validate the decision not to trade him this past February.
If Russell can maintain this shot-making into the postseason, it could make them a formidable threat against any of the top teams in the West and there is evidence that the Lakers believe they have enough to win it all with him playing at this level.
But at 9th in the West, and 2.5 games out of the 6th seed, the Lakers are facing an uphill battle to the NBA Finals, even worse than last year when they failed to win more than eight games before their elimination. To even make the first round, the Lakers would have to win two back-to-back play-in games, the first of which being against the Golden State Warriors.
Needless to say, the odds are stacked heavily against the Lakers this season but there is hope that they can find a spark and make another run through the Western playoff bracket. To have any chance of it, they’ll need D’Angelo Russell at his best and at the top of his game.
The Lakers Almost Traded For A Star Point Guard Last Summer
D’Angelo Russell returned to the Lakers as part of a three-team trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz that involved Mike Conley, Russell Westbrook, and multiple draft picks. While he was welcomed at first fans began to turn on him as his shooting fluctuated throughout his tenure.
Things were so bad at one point that the Lakers were considering trading Russell in exchange for another star player, such as Damian Lillard, James Harden, or Kyrie Irving. The latest rumblings have Russell being replaced with Hawks star Trae Young.
But amid a particularly impressive hot streak, Russell is proving that he can be everything that the Lakers need him to be offensively. As an expert ball handler and shot-maker, Russell opens up the floor for the Lakers in a way that few other players can.
The Lakers have already tried to trade Russell again several times this season alone but he’s proving himself valuable, and increasingly more indispensable, at every turn. With his confidence at an all-time high, there’s no reason to think that D’Lo can’t keep this going through the postseason and the Lakers will need everything he’s got to beat the elite teams in the West.
At full strength, the Lakers can challenge anyone in the West, but D’Angelo Russell’s shooting may very well make the difference in how far they ultimately go. After his contract expires next summer, Russell is sure to seek a massive raise in full recognition of his improved play.
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