The Lakers already overcame massive odds to get this far, less than 10 wins away from an NBA championship. While most fans will acknowledge that this season went better then they could’ve hoped for, there is still a lingering sense of shock and disappointment in the air now that the Lakers are down 3-0 to the top-seeded Nuggets.
Ahead of today’s game, the Lakers will be looking to start strong and send a message that they will not get bounced easily. To do it, however, D’Angelo Russell will likely need to sit considering his struggles through the first three games. By some accounts, he almost single-handedly cost them this series.
“D’Angelo Russell, my brother, you should just go someplace and hide. Really, you should. What an atrocious performance this series against the Denver Nuggets. I mean, my god…”
My advice to D’Angelo Russell…just go someplace and hide. I mean what an atrocious performance.
https://t.co/RydRrKBZkp pic.twitter.com/vrPNG5VxTu
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) May 22, 2023
D’Lo’s return to Los Angeles was met with much excitement at first, and he has helped them at times during this second-half run. But effort has been a problem for Russell, who was traded from Minnesota for his flaws as a leader, playmaker, and perimeter defender.
Before the Conference Finals, Russell was actually playing decently well thanks to getting hot from three. Sadly, his shots have since stopped falling and Denver has made it a mission to seek him out defensively.
Will Lakers Keep D’Lo Past This Summer?
Regardless of the outcome of this series, the Lakers will have some tough decisions to make this July. If they want, they could chose to seek out more star power in the form of Kyrie Irving or Damian Lillard — but swapping role-players may be more than enough to turn the situation around.
“There’s a strong argument to be made that Russell should have lost his starting job early on in this series, as it was quickly evident the Nuggets’ plan of attacking him on the defensive end was sparking their historically good offense,” Sam Amick wrote for The Athletic.
Russell is a player who can help the right team in the right situation, but this matchup against the Nuggets does not seem to be the right matchup for him.
In Game 4, expect Russell to see the bench much more as Darvin Ham attempts to keep the season alive.
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