It’s been quite a whirlwind for D’Angelo Russell, I would imagine. Almost a year ago to the day I write this, he was drafted with the #2 overall selection by the Lakers. He seemed genuinely ecstatic about the development, going a spot higher than most projected him to go, and avoiding being part of “the process” in Philly which just produced a 10 win season and the #1 overall pick in this draft.
Fast-forward to today and he’s gone through an up and down rookie campaign and saw an off-court issue with a teammate become national news, branding him a “snitch”, “rat”, or worse in the process. His image has taken a hit that to the point that the flashes he had as a rookie might as well have never happened.
In the shows leading into and during the actual draft itself on Thursday, no less than 4 analysts found ways to either trade, give away, or discredit Russell’s basketball playing ability. Arguments were made that there was no place for him on the team and that the Lakers should voluntarily draft Kris Dunn over Brandon Ingram just to be able to trade Russell.
This was silly. More than that really, but I’ll keep this PG rated.
I believe in D’Angelo Russell. I believe his combination of shooting, court vision, feel, and willingness as a passer aren’t often found in the same player. I believe his skill set combined with his size and length, as a point guard, make him almost totally unique in today’s NBA and allow him a certain type of versatility that is rare at his position. I believe as his body (and mind) mature, as he continues his strength and conditioning training, that he will offer the Lakers potential at the position they have not seen in decades.
It really doesn’t matter what I believe, though. What matters is Russell’s desire to improve, the work he puts in to satiate those desires, and the growth which comes from it. Russell has taken some hits, but he’s hitting back. In a story posted Friday at Bleacher Report, Kevin Ding wrote the following:
Already, Russell is working like crazy toward next season, especially in the weight room. He’s a confident kid who is well equipped to deal with adversity, having spent his entire life trying to prove himself to his big brother.
He’s also openly yearning to soak up every drop of knowledge and freedom offered by new Lakers coach Luke Walton, inundating Walton with questions about the steps Stephen Curry took in the past two years.
Ding goes on to discuss Russell’s alpha personality and leadership qualities. These are certainly important. The next leader for these young Lakers hasn’t yet been established. Kobe once noted the torch hadn’t been passed — that the torch must be seized. Russell has some qualities to do just that (as does Julius Randle; Ingram also said he hoped to bring leadership to the team).
I don’t know whose team the Lakers will be next year and beyond. Certainly free agency will play a part in what direction the franchise goes and how roles are sussed out among those in the locker room. However that shakes out, though, do not discount D’Angelo Russell’s place in the hierarchy. Because as excited as I am about Ingram, Russell’s game too has the ability to be something special. And I think he’s going to show everyone exactly that. Whether they believe in him or not.
Adam says
Thanks, Darius! Great piece.
Anonymous says
He does not have good foot speed and can not stay in front of anybody when he is on defense. That alone makes him expendable. N
Ario says
I was watching those analysts all basically say that we should move on from him in disbelief, that not even one disagreed smh I think a lot of people forget that he played under a horrible coach with a horrible roster and also a weird situation as it was kobes farewell tour. I expect him to average 18, 7, 5 this year
Sten says
I’d looks like we’re building a team of tall, versatile players. They seem to all have the talent to slash & pass – if they continue to make improvements at the 3pt line we look real fun over the next few years.
Ultimately I think championships are won by stars – who knows if we’ll get or grow one of those – but I’m starting to see a method to the madness.
Realistic, moderate optimism is the best kind.
David R says
also really appreciated this,
Russell is a huge piece to the future of this team, most 3 Pointers made by a Lakers Rookie, and thats without a true offensive system. now we will an extra weapon to be able to pass to in Ingram, the future is bright.
Anonymous says
I can’t remember a lottery rookie that actually performed as well as DAR did in his first year that has elicited this kind of response from both local and national media. It’s just amazing how many people paid to cover the NBA can’t seem to contextualize or put anything in perspective.
Hannibal Chisum says
Well said, I totally agree!
Mikey says
D’Angelo is going to be a fantastic, all star level point guard, for years to come (with the caveat about injury that applies to everyone).
It’s hard for me to understand why it’s not obvious to everyone already, but the evidence will be very strong by late November, mid-December at the very latest. He’s got a combination of handles, creativity with space and dribbling tempo, a fluid shot, and almost unique passing ability, which, with his size, will make him virtually unguardable.
He can play pick and roll ball if he has an uber athletic defender on him, he can step back and get his shot, and drive on a close out defender. He’s long enough to make covering both basically impossible for anyone, and skilled enough to use fakes and feints to throw off those few who might be fast enough to stick with his pick-your-poison offense.
The evidence is already in. He posted a top 4-5 PER ever for a 19 year old PG, and did this without being able to get steady minutes or regularly get the ball with more than 5-8 seconds on the clock. But Kobe is gone. And Byron is gone. And that means that Russell will get the ball with 22 seconds on the clock, which is essential for him to feel out the defender and play the options against him. I can’t imagine he’ll put up less than around 17-6-4, and I think those are low estimates, but would justify the talk of impending stardom for a 20-21 year old PG.
He will eventually far exceed those numbers, and put up good shooting efficiency, via fouls and 3 point shooting and drives into the middle of the key, for that open jumper/floater he was missing this year, but will soon be making.
Frankly, I can’t think of a physically less mature player, mentally or emotionally, who played last year. And that means his level of improvement stands to be amongst the league’s highest; 2nd year player, point guard, physically underdeveloped… he will be the most improved, even if the award is never given out to 2nd year players because massive improvement is a given during that break.
Defense is irrelevant. He has all the tools to be at least as strong as the current MVP on defense, maybe more.
Was the video incident dumb ? Yeah. Does he look like an immature kid ? Is he only a middling athletic player ? Yeah. Is he likely to grow up and blow up as a player ? In my mind, it’s a lock, and it’ll be on display within the first two months of next season.
Robert says
Draft Obviously I am not a huge fan of the FO, however let me go on record as saying that if I were the FO, I would have done exactly the same as they did on both picks. They picked the best rated player available in both cases, which is exactly what I would have done. So if the picks do not turn out – there will be no FO bashing from me (on that topic). Likewise – the picks were not “genius”. Many of us would have done the same.
Russell: “And I think he’s going to show everyone exactly that” Darius – can you elaborate? Is he future All NBA material? All Star? And when? I realize this is conjecture, but the guy is a #2 pick, so he needs to do more than show a little potential. What is the ceiling and more importantly what is the likelihood?
Salvador says
I was one of the few who thought the lakers made the right choice on draft night last year. it takes more than people realize to turn into a star in the nba. Apart from being talented or having potential, players must develop a great work ethic and have the right mindset. I believe Russell has those intangibles and has shown the desire and fearlessness it takes to fill the roll of a leader.
smokedaddy says
It seems to me that there is more than enough blame to spread around with respect to DAR’s sins. Clearly, if Swaggy P merits some smidgeon of responsibility for this clusterf**k of adolescence gone wild, the lion’s share of responsibility for recording and presumably disseminating a teammate’s private man talk belongs to D’Angelo. Much as I’m sure Mitch or Coach Walton would love to pretend this never happened, the fact is it did. Teamates don’t need to love each other or even like each other. What they do need to be able to do is trust each other. Let’s not forget though, we’re talking about a, what 20 year old kid, who can’t even walk into a bar. D’Angelo’s sins here were bad but they are not unforgivable. And truthfully I don’t expect a 20 year old rookie to take the lead on addressing the matter, though that would be really really nice. Seems to me Mitch or better yet Luke need to have some private conversations with D’Angelo and Nick, reach a consensus on an apology, public if need be, and some form of penance on D’Angelo’s part. What’s happening now, where members of the media are taking it upon themselves to flog D’Angelo on his game and his character is just cruel and really speaks poorly of them. Yes, D’Angelo needs to man up here, sincerely see where he wronged his work colleague, and address this with management and most importantly, Swaggy. Offer penance, public confession, whatever it takes. Then if Swaggy agrees, address this with teammates. Issue a public apology. Maybe this has already been done. But at this point it needs to become public so as to clear the air. “Leadership” from older teammates would help as well beyond changing seats when DAR comes to eat. A little Christian empathy would go a long ways here.
Now for those of you see D’Angelo’s sins as beyond the pale. Keep in mind what happened with Tony Parker way back when. I forget the name of his aggrieved teammate. But you talk about taking one for the team. Whew. How many rings has Tony got?
smokedaddy says
I don’t really want to let Swaggy completely off the hook here either. Aside from the wrongfulness of his infidelities, pouring forth you emotions and justifications for this to your 2 years out of high school teammate is not a good idea.
Serg says
No one person can guard today’s point guards, just as we saw kyrie cooked Klay. It’s all about team defense and length on the perimeter and mobile bigs. Clarkson is undersized 2 guard Kobe undersized slow small forward and Randle has short arms and Hibbert a slowest center in the NBA. With the right system you can hide Russel as the Warriors do with Steph.
Clay Bertrand says
Does Michael Wilbon even WATCH basketball at all?? He is the Carrot Top of sports talking heads IMO (no offense to Carrot Top).
Clearly Russell is immature. Hell these guys are ALL kids—-all of them have some growing up to do. That’s a given. I lay a fair share of his first season on just being a young rookie. HOWEVER, I lay a bigger share of things on Byron Scott and Kobe’s Tour. I am a big believer that merely having Scott gone and Walton here will pay developmental dividends for our young core exponentially beyond what they experienced under Scott. Luke is gonna have a staff of developmental coaches that will really get the best out of our guys (hopefully).
Add Ingram, Zubac and a couple of FAs to the coaching improvement and resulting young player improvement we are already trending in the right direction.
The thought that the team would move on from Russell after an incomplete evaluation of him last year because he ratted out the romantic escapades of a guy who likely won’t even be on the roster in 2 months is SOOOOOO ESPN!!! Its total click bait CRAP!!!!!
Talent is Talent.
Anonymous says
DAR is close to being a terrible defender. He is certainly a below average defender. He will put up some numbers on offense, I see him getting maybe 16 to 18 points a game. He will make some nice passes. But he absolutely sucks on defense, and without good defense you can’t get past the 2nd round of the playoffs. I was praying we could get Chris Dunn, a real point guard with great defensive skills. DAR’s defense sticks, there’s no way to sugar coat it.
LT Mitchell says
The Warriors can hide Curry’s defense to a degree because they have four plus defenders at the other positions, including Klay and Iggy, who can get Curry’s back by guarding the opposing PGs. The Lakers have Clarkson and Lou to get Russell’s back. That is three of the worst defensive guards in the league. Unlike the Warriors, the Lakers have no choice but to put Russell on the opposing PG. As good a defender as Klay is, his offense clearly suffers from chasing around point guards 5 inches shorter than him for an entire series.
Curry and someone like Nash more than made up for their defensive liabilities with their all world offense, and if Russell ever becomes a player who, not only gets his numbers on a bad team, but a player who heavily contributes to producing wins, he has to be more than just good on offense…. he has to be great on offense.
We saw glimpses last season of his offensive potential, but overall, I was expecting more from him… especially after the words “potential superstar” were repeated over and over by Kupchack and Byron when Russell was drafted. I saw a player who might make the all star team one day if he matures and everything goes right. Potential superstar… or potential best player on a contending team? I just don’t see it.
Ingram, on the other hand………..
Alex says
It amazes me how everyone talks all the time about ceilings and floors and the relevance of young age, but then we treat these same 19-21yo’s as finished products, both as men and bball players. DAR showed us amazing potential last year; he’s coming back determined, chiseled, and with improved handle and shot. Instead of buckling under the heat of the NY fiasco, he’s focusing on the only way to absolve himself – become good enough to be untouchable. Mitch knows this, hence his text to DAR, not to worry. The TV pundits are a joke.
Unlike Cousins who will always be a malcontent, DAR will mature. I do not want Boogie. We have something special brewing already.
John says
Give d’angelo a break he made an immature mistake been young and a rookie but he has learned from his mistake. The lakers now have a left handed chris paul n d’angelo,monta ellis n clarkson,durant n ingram,odom n zebo’s body n randle all they have to do is just add a veteran center and the future looks good
A Horse With No Name says
The media puke-heads are just doing what they get paid to do: rile up fans and get hits. The Kobe-hate industry has ended, and D’Angelo is being vetted for newest laker to hate. So pathetic. So predictable.
Baylor Fan says
Folks in the media need to get off their very high horses and cut Russell some slack. It was the Lakers FO that decided Nick Young was the ideal person to guide the new players through the desert. Of all the things a rookie can do wrong, Russell chose one that was pretty benign (no guns, PEDs, alcohol). His teammates will judge him by what he can do on the court and that appears to be quite a bit.
Hopefully, no one player takes the torch from Kobe. The last thing the Lakers need is one player dominating all of the action on the court. If a core group of players emerge from this roster, let them take the torch collectively.
Chris J says
The Foot Locker ad was great.
Baylor Fan says
What is needed now is a statement from the Buss Brood on the direction of the team. Are they content to build around all of the young guns and is Jim still worried about keeping his job? A lot of angst over the future actions of the FO would be relieved if they did not have the threat of losing their jobs.
LakerPauer says
Iggy let Nick Young come back, and then he dumped her for his baby mama. People still think D’Angelo is the one with the bulk of the responsibility for Nick Young’s life being a mess? Nick Young acting like a moron and encouraging this kind of behavior in D’Angelo and Clarkson by being a man child is the real problem. Mixing immature adults in with children is a recipe for disaster. I hope he never gets within spitting distance to a Laker rook again.
A Horse With No Name says
baylor fan @ 5:50: Good lord, don’t wake the dead.
KevTheBold says
Thanks Darius, for a well timed and thoughtful article.
I see the alpha dog in Russell, enjoyed the video of how when he and Simmons were team mates, it was Russell who refused to allow KAT’s team to beat them.
For those who still hold that video prank against him, turns out that his phone was hacked.
To those that were ‘expecting more’, and conveniently ignore the mayor hurtles of last season: the kid averaged 25 points and 5 assists when Kobe was out.
As for defense, until such time we have ‘team’ defence, we really have no idea how good or bad he is.
We do know however that his willingness to train and learn are well up to par.
As far a I’m concerned Russell has all the qualities and the desire, to lead this team.
Clay Bertrand says
Jodie Meeks is signed for 2 more seasons at about $6.3m per. He is currently on the block as he and Detroit have mutually agreed to try to move him on somewhere else.
The Pistons could really use a volume shooting SF off the bench for some scoring………..If ONLY we had someone like that we could spare…………
In Free Agency, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Lakers show serious interest in Arron Afflalo. He’s a Vet who is a real pro in the locker room and when healthy, is a decent contributing wing player. Ditto Marv Williams and probably an easier get, Jared Dudley.
Dom says
Darius, i really appreciate the piece. DAR is a kid. Kids do childish things. He did something immature and was excoriated for it and rightfully so to an extent. The real child here is Nick Young, NY is 30 y/o and as a veteran was setting a really poor example mentor and role model for the young core. I watched Jalen Rose of Fab Five fame talk about how DAR can never be trusted, how he is a lost cause , how in breaking the “code” he no longer has any value as a human being let alone as a basketball player. Was this Jalen Rose a member of the Fab Five who’s NCAA championship, wins etc. were removed for the record books because as a group they took money and benefits and broke NCAA rules and kids? Anyone say hypocrite. DAR showed some flashes of absolute brilliance last year. I hear pundits talking about how low his assists totals were last year but never mention how many times he made brilliant passes and the player at the end of the pass missed the shot. He made a mistake and took the heat. I look at Minnesota and see Kevin Garnett leading that locker room. Unlike Kobe who was still trying to dominate KG moved into a mentors role for the young guns there. Who did the Lakers have last year? Metta? Love him but he’s still nuts. Luke brought in Brian Shaw who even before Luke took over began the mentoring shaping process. Something that was missing last year. Even GS has Steve Nash and the logo as “consultants”. Even when Kobe was a rookie he has BScott his rookie year and then Horry Fox etc. DAR is going to be an All Star, he’s 20 freaking years old and dont forget that 39 point outburst against the Nets last year. For those so called vets who walked away when the kid messed up, HIbbert? Bass? Williams? great example and role models no wonder you are all available yet again in free agency. Too bad Kobe couldnt be what David Robinson was to Tim Duncan, or what Duncan was to Kawhi. It takes something special to build into a talent like DAR, to see beyond the childishness to the potential greatness. We live in a changing world. Back in the day before social media and before a lot of you were born there was a story about the Mavs.
http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-mavericks/mavericksheadlines/2015/03/21/former-maverick-jamal-mashburn-on-what-really-happened-between-jason-kidd-jim-jackson-and-toni-braxton
Imagine what the headlines would have been if social media were around. My point it it’s time to get over it. We have a kid here that with proper leadership can navigate this team to something special. Look at what Jamal Mashburn said at the end of the article. If they had had proper leadership and mentors in that locker room they could have had something special. Let’s not make the same mistake. Sorry for the long post but i am so for this kid.
Fern says
I dont remember Tony Parker getting all this flak when he actually slept with a teamate’s wife actually he didn’t get any is there a more blatant betrayal of the lockerroom trust than sleeping with a teammate’s wife?. Last night was shameful and cruel. He made a mistake as a 19 year old immature knucklehead. I think he can be an all star very soon.
Dom says
as far as the Lakers and defense last year are you freaking kidding me? Roy the statue Hibbert at center, Julius Alligator arms Randle at power forward, Diminutive Clarkson at guard, and you want to blame tthe 19 year old just out of college kid for not making the all defensive team Defense is schemed based on your roster and philosophy, the Lakers couldnt guard statues last year. When you look at OKC, Cleveland, GS even the Clippers, and the Grizz they all have schemes to fit their personnel. There is no defense on earth that would fit last years group so can we let that go. DAR is a year older, coachable and eager to learn can we give him some time before be label him a failure.
Todd says
Russell is a foundational player and will not be traded.
rubenowski says
I think Byron deserves some of the blame in the whole Russell-Swaggy P fiasco. Everything we were hearing before the start of the season was how much of a leader Russell appeared to be. Then towards the end of the season Byron says Russell behaves like a 14 year old at times. Well, maybe if he’d treated Russell differently and coached him well he wouldn’t have had as much time to fool around with a clown like Nick Young (and he IS a clown.)
I wouldn’t be surprised if this was part of the reason Jim and Mitch let Byron go. It may not have been Byron’s fault, but he certainly created an environment where something like this was more likely to happen.
Fern says
All this DAR situation is a steamin pile of hipocrisy. You know why these “analysts” and players get worked up about DAR and have taken upon themselves to try to bring him down? Because a big part of the locker room etiquette is “don’t tell nobody of the rampant cheating”. Im sure 90% of NBA players have a “honey” set up nicely on every city they play. That’s why all these “high character” sound bites sounds so empty and hollow to me. Most of these guys are despicable entitled human beings. You know what they fear the most? A divorce. I remember bible thumping Dwight has how many baby mamas? Scotty Pippen has like 10 kids and the list go on an on. Nick got dumped because even after he got exposed he couldn’t stop cheating, so excuse me if i dont feel this “code”. Tony Parker cheated with another teammate’s wife and came out smelling like roses. This is all a lot of self serving hipocrisy and i feel sicken by it. All those guys that were bringing down DAR last night have mistresses, honeys,boos or whatever the hell they call these skanks nowadays ALL OF THEM. That is what this is all about.
Cd says
He may not be an elite athlete, but he was one of the better perimeter defenders for the Lakers last year. He often lost focus, but he had good fundamentals. He is a much, much better defender than JC, who is one of the worst defenders I have ever seen (despite his athleticism).
smokedaddy says
Dom, Fern, great posts. I’d forgotten about the antics in Dallas with Kidd et al. I will say that if Russell’s phone was hacked, then this he is REALLY getting killed unfairly over this recording. Still wrong on his part to record the conversation but a very minor sin if there was no intent to hit send. Regardless, my heart is really going out to the kid as he gets knifed in the back by every two timing former player/analyst/reporter who’s projecting his own guilt & fear of getting caught onto a 20 year old kid. Keep working hard D’Angelo. There are a lot of us who don’t like what we’re seeing and are in your corner.The hotter the fire the harder the steel.
Chris J says
“For those who still hold that video prank against him, turns out that his phone was hacked.”
———-
Says whom?
LT Mitchell says
For those of you defending Russell’s defense, please, just go watch any game from last year and just focus on him on the defensive end for an entire quarter. You will be shocked at how bad he is, how poor his defensive instincts are, how slow his reaction time is, how slow he is laterally and moving backwards. Better coaching, more experience, and having better defensive teammates can help mask his defensive deficiencies going forward, but make no mistake, he has very little defensive skills and defensive talent, even for a rookie. The Lakers were a bad defensive team for many reasons, and DAR was absolutely one of the reasons why. I expect him to improve on the defensive end, but I can’t see him ever becoming even an average defensive player. He is going to have to rely on his offense ala Nash and Curry. On the offensive end, he has the skills and potential to be a good player. Hopefully, it will be good enough to more than offset his defense.
J C says
Defense is coaching.
Everyone on the team was bad defensively last year.
Dantoni didn’t emphasize it.
Byron didn’t know how to teach it.
A good coach holds his players accountable and drills the team on rotating, help, and trapping.
D’angelo;s defensive skills will be satisfactory.
When a real coach is in place, a guy who doesn’t play defense rides the pine.
DAR’s ability to score is top-notch, including his array of floaters, 3s, and post-ups.
The only thing that concerns me is his ability to penetrate and get to the free throw line.
Hopefully those are things he can learn, but he isn’t an Iverson-type athlete.
He seems like more of a Chauncey Billups – type, athletically.
KevTheBold says
Chris J,
Russell’s ex reportedly stole and posted it,
and the reasons are more believable than him doing so.
http://larrybrownsports.com/basketball/dangelo-russell-ex-girlfriend-nick-young-video/298919
Rye says
19 years old and scores 39 points in a game. Im the biggest Kobe fan and I doubt very much he scored that many in a game at 19.
The guy is an offensive genius an always will be. His defense will always be behind his offense but that didnt stop Steve Nash from winning MVP twice in a row.
John Citizen says
Nice work, thanks Darius. I agree with you totally. Last year the only fun moments watching lakers games came when Russell was on the court.
Anonymous says
A lot of angst over the future actions of the FO would be relieved if they did not have the threat of losing their jobs.
___
True. Fortunately, Mitch seemed very reasonable in his last press conference. He didn’t sound like “the deadline” played any role in his thinking.
http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/160623_kupchak-draft-recap
Anonymous says
Russell has talent, but I’m not entirely happy about his character. And I don’t just want the players on my favorite team to be good, I also want to like them.
He has always been cocky. And I think everybody agrees that recording the video was immature. Recently, Russell remarked that he was glad that the incident happened because it helped him grow:
http://www.lakersnation.com/lakers-news-dangelo-russell-reflects-on-nick-young-incident/2016/06/06/
In a way, this is true, but it is an extremely self-centered point of view. It doesn’t seem to occur to him that the incident involved other people as well and had bad consequences for them. I don’t like that and continue to be unsure about his character.
(Please note that I’m not excusing Young or saying he didn’t reap what he himself sowed. But it was not Russell’s job to bring that about. Especially in the way it happened.)
Fern says
Why do we need a statement from the Buss kids? They need to stay in the background and let Mitch speak for the team. Fans like and trust Mitch. Mitch has been pretty clear on what the team wants. And Jimbo has said several times that he trust Mitch implicitly.Among all the good things that the Lakers are doing, the Buss’s being out of the spotlight is one of them. We don’t need Jim or specially Jeanie yapping to the media.
matt says
Bleacher report, nba undrafted free agents, has a list
Gary payton, cat barber, perry ellis, etc
Have already been taken by other teams, lakers haven’t picked up anyone yet
I’d like to see them bring back guys who got cut last year, michael frazier and jabari brown
matt says
The idea of the lakers totally missing out on this years free agents is not a total loss, because we have 4 of 5 positions to be filled by prospects, ingram, randle, russell, and clarkson.
If we don’t sign anyone thats a big name we would still be better off than last year.
I will throw some names out there
Mahinmi, upgrade from hibbert
Marvin williams, upgrade from bass
Solomon hill, upgrade from nick young or mwp
Point guard i guess you resign Huertas, and resign bass as a bench big
That’s a good team that allows our youth to grow
Anonymous says
Un-athletic, not the great shooter he was advertised to be (41%), terrible defender, not just lacking in aggression, but goofy (Mark Heisler wrote a column stating he was walking around quacking like a duck before a game…boy the countless times we heard that about Kobe and James Worthy). Also this great vision…3.3 assists.. really? I haven’t researched this but I guarantee that he never got 10 assists in REGULAR season game and Byron as bad as he was didn’t sit him that much. If he had been rolling with passes even Byron would’ve left him in. Not 15 or 20 or an average of 10, but ten…once in 80 games. He had 39 points (“I got ice water in my veins!” no you had 12 wins at that point) and a stretch of 8 good games. Perhaps all of these national commentators actually know something. Maybe Kobe knows something when he answered the question of is the next “guy” on the team and he said something like…if ya gotta ask the question then no. Ahhh Kristaps…we barely knew ya
matt says
Sorry i ment resign tarik black as a bench big, not bass.
Someone correct me if I’m wrong. The punishment for missing the minimum salary threshold is merely that you get charged up to amount of it anyways.
Which is what the 76ers have been doing.
If the lakers can’t sign the big names they want, we should not be shocked if they go this route. Why commit to a multi year (inflated) contract to a player your not too thrilled about.
grumpy says
It’s hard for me to believe the type of expectations some Lakers fans put on these kids. It sounds like they were expecting Russell to average 20 pts 10 asts 10 rbs 3 stl a game with Kawhi Leonard defense.
The reality is that very few rookies are able to put up great numbers, which is what makes KAT’s numbers something to marvel at.
D’Angelo has great vision and I’m excited to see him play with players who can actually make shots. He was bad at defense last year, but not as bad as JC. I saw glimpses of potential when a) Russell tried or b) when he was smart and used his length effectively. One of my favorite parts of Russell’s game is his adeptness of keeping his defender on his hip and then making the right play.
And for those of you who want to swap Russell for Dunn, just remember Dunn is 2 years older than Russell. In reality, all of these players are drafted based on potential and it’s up to the players to maximize it by remaining focused and putting in the work.
Chris J says
KevTheBold
—–
Thanks for link. I had not heard that rumor previously.
As to what happened, who knows? That article was very, very sketchy — lots of “reportedly” and “supposedly”-type conclusions… Not journalism at its finest by any stretch.
Regardless, what matters now is how things go from here. The fact that Ingram and Russell and Randle and Clarkson and Nance are getting along early on is encouraging, and Walton will improve the cameradery just by being himself and not being Byron. I’d like to see Young cut or dealt elsewhere and let the team move ahead with a fully fresh start. Lou is a better contributor than Young, and lacks the baggage that follows Young from team to team.
KevTheBold says
Chris J,
No problem. I could not find the first report I read. It was much more succinct.
What brings logic to the explanation however imo, it’s the fact that Russell told Young he recorded it right after he did so.
Since Young knew, it makes no sense that Russell would upload it, especially after many months.
Not to mention the fallout that he knew would follow, possibly complicating his future.
The kid is silly, but I have seen no signs of stupidity or evilness, or even a problem with his relationship with Young to that point.
Yes I agree, Young should be traded. We don’t need his influences, skillet, nor his unearned salary.
Clay Bertrand says
Anonymous at 7:22,
“Mark Heisler wrote a column stating he [D’Angelo Russell] was walking around quacking like a duck before a game…boy the countless times we heard that about Kobe and James Worthy.”
____________________________________________________________
Dude, do we even have to bring up the things that Kobe and James got in trouble for during their careers? It was a different world 20-30 years ago. Reporters didn’t go into revealing behind the scenes incidents or the goings on at practices. There was no social media magnifying the minutia of every day and allowing the Players such unfiltered contact with the fans.
But by all means, lets compare 2 Hall of Famers who played 11 and 20 years respectively to a kid who played one. Let’s compare “quacking like a duck” to Eagle Colorado or Houston back when James got caught.
Yep, we better trade D’Angelo Russell now. He didn’t get 10 assists in any games and he quacked like a duck before a game and doesn’t act like a crusty old veteran because he’s 19. That’s sound logic. I’d love to hear your take on Steph Curry his first four years. Something like, “Can’t grow a mustache…Can’t play D……Ankles are shot….Shoots too many wild jumpers.”
It’s called a ROOKIE YEAR because the guy is a ROOKIE. The thing about Potential is, it isn’t here yet and it requires that you let it play out. Calves don’t produce milk.
DieTryin' says
What Clay said
KevTheBold says
To the anonymous poster who does not agree with D’Angelo’s confident nature: You most decidedly hated Kobe’s as well.
I will bet you however, that you loved the games he won for us fueled on that self belief.
As for ‘self centeredness,’ Russell has been proven a willing passer, desiring to make his team better, and imo, that’s all that matters to anyone, including you.
rr says
Why do we need a statement from the Buss kids?
—
To clarify whether the timeline is in place or not. It is not an issue right this second, since the fanbase is excited about Walton and the draft and the team is 0-0. But if the season goes the way that it probably will—the team wins 24-32 games—that will raise the question of whether Jim will be expected to step down, and it will come up again. It will also come up during free agency, no matter what the Lakers do or don’t do and no matter who they do or don’t sign. Jim has already said in public that he wants two more years.
That noted, saying nothing in public right now is probably OK, as long as Jim, Jeanie and Mitch themselves know what the deal is.
DAR: It will blow over in the public sense if he plays well and the team starts doing better, but he may still have some internal work to do with his teammates, depending on what actually happened. Fans loudly defending him and pundits going off on him in petty ways are understandable, predictable, and ultimately unimportant. Also, Young probably won’t be on the team next year anyway.
Draft: I like it. You can make a case that the Lakers should have taken Brogdon, but if the FO thinks that Zubac can be an effective backup 5, then he was the right pick, and the FO can look to add two playable wings in FA and/or off the free talent pile.
FA: Yes, the only penalty for not making the floor is paying out the money to the guys on the roster, and teams don’t have to hit the floor before the season starts anyway.
Chris J says
To support Clay’s point — what would social media have done over Kobe breaking his wrist while playing a pick-up game at Venice Beach before his first NBA training camp? We’d have seen a slew of stories saying how immature he was, with Stephen A. and Plashke-types writing columns or blathering on cable about how they just can’t believe Jerry West traded Vlade Divac for this high school punk, etc.
And when young Kobe finally did see NBA action, he went scoreless in his debut and had one point in his second outing. The FB&G denizens — had they had a forum back in the day — would have had the “Is Kobe a bust?” debates raging in full form.
Bottom line — it’s far too early to claim we know what Russell will be as a man, or as an NBA player. Let’s watch and see before we jump to judgment.
Michael h says
There is this expectation that a 19 year old one and done kid is going to come into the league and be a good defender. That almost never happens. The younger rookie usually take a few years. I thought his defense improved as the season progressed but he is a couple years away. In the NBA it’s more about learning the scheme. Everyone blew by DFish. But he made sure it was into help. When Russell learns the scheme he will be fine.
Robert says
DAR: He is 20 and he was 20 when he posted the video. The commercial he made with the reference to the incident is also not in good taste. He is in his second year now. We do not need a “kid” – we need a star player and filling that role is how he makes this go away.
Young: I have never been a fan and was against his contract from day 1. When he was signed – many said he was fun and enthusiastic and a loyal Laker. They also said he was cheap. How quickly things change.
Fujitsu says
Russell is is James Harden with clown streak. He might be an All Star, but he will get exposed nightly on defense. And until we get another defensive guard, you can’t his him.
And to the clown who said defense is irrelevant, you should probably go back and watch the current MVP get picked on possession after posession for 7 games in a row.
Matthew Hunt says
I’m absolutely desperate for real games to start (even Summer League), so in the meantime I’ll jump in on DAR (positively).
Long story short–I’m still incredibly high on DAR’s potential to be really, really good. It feels like judging him at all on last year’s stats and performance is like judging the entirety of a chef’s potential based on the vending machine Quickfire. Sure, you can make some initial guesstimates about aspects of his skill set, but it in no way tells you what he can really do with a fully stocked and properly staffed and run kitchen.
On assists: not sure prime Nash could have averaged double-digit assists with that mess Byron called an “offense” last year. Seems to me 90% of possessions were “dribble beyond the 3-point line for 15-20 seconds while Hibbert strolled casually out to set a pick, then pass to Kobe/Lou/random guy from the audience for 5 seconds of isolation or a 24-second violation.” Plus, don’t forget that DAR was never the undisputed point guard–both he and Clarkson were asked to share that role, and Clarkson brought the ball up and initiated the “offense” a significant part of the time when they shared the court. Hell, Lou Williams started at PG for a good chunk of the season over DAR–so there was no point in the season where he was the primary and only “here’s the ball, find the open man” guy, let alone having that responsibility all year and growing into it (or not).
I don’t expect him to ever be a stereotypical PG as far as his stats–he’s potentially too good a shooter (not to mention the possibilities for him in the post) to have a typical line of 12-14 points and 12-14 assists…that wouldn’t be taking advantage of some of his best skills. And the motion-based, “everyone has a green light to take a good shot” offense we’re probably looking at doesn’t lend itself to having just one person setting up everyone else every time down the court. Hell, I just took a quick look at last-season’s stats for every good team in the league, and only Westbrook and Wall averaged over 10 assists a game; all of the other “best” PG’s in the league–and that includes Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving, Damien Lillard, and so on–averaged between 5-7 assists a game. That’s just the way the game is played these days. So I don’t think a ceiling of averaging 20+ points and 5-7 assists (and probably 5-7 rebounds), with one or two really memorable passes a game is out of reach eventually. And that would definitely make him an upper-echelon PG in the NBA.
On defense, I actually really liked what I saw from him instinctively, at least towards the end of his season. He isn’t athletically explosive, so he’s not going to be a world-class defender based on out-hustling his assignment and flying all over the place–he’s going to need to read angles and the situation and anticipate where he needs to be. I saw this happen a number of times at the end of the season, where he stepped in to deflect or steal a pass on PnR’s, especially when Hibbert or Bass had rotated over to pick up a driving guard/wing who blew past our perimeter. But this type of defense takes a while to fully develop–it’s primarily building up experience and learning the tendencies and plays of both individual opponents and teams, and also requires a solid understanding of and trust in what the team is doing defensively, so you know what the other team is going to be forced into doing, and thus what options are going to be available to them. As our overall defensive approach and execution improves (not sure it could get worse), and he gets more experience in the league overall, I expect to see measurable improvements in DAR’s defense.
I don’t think he’ll ever be 1st or 2nd team all-NBA on that end, nor will he be a stopper we put on the other teams best offensive player. But could he be at least an average NBA defender 1-on-1, and average 1.5-2 steals a game based on anticipation and being in the right place at the right time? Pretty well within the realm of possibility, if he wants it.
Clay Bertrand says
Fujitsu,
“…to the clown who said defense is irrelevant, you should probably go back and watch the current MVP get picked on possession after posession for 7 games in a row.”
____________________________________________________________
The irony in this statement is 3 dimensional!! Not to argue against your point about defense being irrelevant. Certainly it isn’t. Not every guy is a Tony Allen though. I personally think the TEAM SCHEME has a lot to do with how most individual players look on the defensive end in the NBA.
That said, your comment begs the question:
If Defense is so relevant, how is it that the current MVP gets picked on possession after possession 7 games in a row?? Why is he the MVP if he can’t D up (granted Curry I believe led the league in steals–an OVER-SEXXY defensive stat)?? As we all recall, Steve Nash was clearly not known for his defense and he was a 2 time MVP!!!
Its as if guys only play defense if they can’t do anything else in the league. Defensive guys seem to specialize in it as a last resort.
Defense should be a pride thing. Guys should take it personal. It should be a real emphasis to shut guys down or more realistically, hold guys below their averages or hold them to low shooting percentages. Sure a Curry or a Harden or a Westbrook etc. may get 35 on you. But make them do it INEFFICIENTLY!!!! That’s what defense is these days!!! Disruption and Containment are valuable concepts in a 24 second offense especially when teams are trying to shoot much sooner in the clock in the more modern offenses to maximize possessions.
I hope Luke can instill this kind of challenge on the defensive end and get the guys to buy in to form a TEAM DEFENSE that is greater than the sum of its individual parts. I really think that he can and they will.
KevTheBold says
I can’t believe we are still talking about this.
Robert, all logical indications are that Russell didn’t post the vid.
Please let this silly event die it’s natural death, and support the ones that play for our side.
A Horse With No Name says
“So many clowns in the comments”–Darius on Twitter
Fujitsu says
You can get through the regular s3ason not playing defense, you can win MVP not playing defense., but winning takes somebody on the team to play defense at some point. Curry gets away with being bad, because Thompson and Green are above average to great. As far as Nash, Marion took all of the hard matchups.
Even Harden has Brewer, lots of NBA players are bad at defense. Harden and Russell are different, they are disinterested at best.
I’ve seen both of them get ready to receive an inbounds pass while the defensive possession was still going. The Lakers don’t have anywhere to hide him.
on a team with all young players not being able to stop the point of attack is going to lead to many blowouts, just like last year.
And given Waltons attempt to speed the game up, the blowouts will come quicker, lots of 28 to 9 first quarters in our future.
Anonymous says
Windhorst says Lakers won’t get KD interview.
Anonymous says
To the anonymous poster who does not agree with D’Angelo’s confident nature: You most decidedly hated Kobe’s as well.
I will bet you however, that you loved the games he won for us fueled on that self belief.
As for ‘self centeredness,’ Russell has been proven a willing passer, desiring to make his team better, and imo, that’s all that matters to anyone, including you.
___
I’m pretty sure I know what sits well with me and what doesn’t. Anyway, thanks for your insightful interpretation. Where would I be without it?
That being said, why do you think it’s mutually exclusive to be a willing passer and have a self-centered point of view?
Anon#1 says
KD, Whiteside and Biyombo were always reaches. Each has tasted what it’s like to play deep into the playoffs —they are not going to be satisfied with starring roles on a team that fails to make the playoffs.
Likely a blessing in disguise. We’ll be forced to play the kids. We’ll win 30 hard fought games. We’ll have a bouncing ball’s chance at keeping our pick. And, we’ll have lots of cap space for a deeper free agent pool next summer.
I’m fine with that.
Darius Soriano says
Horse,
Without naming names, there are. Haha. As an aside, I’m now tired of the anonymous posts & am going to change the commenting structure. The change will happen before free agency. It will help me more easily moderate comments, so I’m going to do it. If it hurts the number of comments, so be it.
Clay Bertrand says
I never wanted KD anyway!!! He’s got a bad foot and he plays too much hero ball!!!! I don’t want his bad influence around our young core!! Who needs a guy who just shoots 3s and can’t win the BIG GAME?????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good riddance!!!!!!!!!
I also never wanted to win the lottery or chill at the Playboy mansion or eat Wagyu beef fajitas……not even for a second. NO massages from KATE UPTON either!!!!!
They make 2 Buck Chuck wine from sour grapes like these…………..
Fern says
Darius, you do whatever you want it’s your site. But i think it would improve the quality of comments if there is a requirement to put a name and e-mail for everyone that posts. I did years ago when i discovered this site and saw that it was better than any other site out there and it takes what? 30 seconds?. I don’t like anonymous posting some stupid stuff and then boom they are gone also there are some good anonymous commenters that should come foward and get a name and join us. I like the interaction and at least have a name about who im talking to or reading That’s all. I have posted good, bad, ranting and even drunken comments. The Mad Max anology the other day? I was in the sauce lol. Anyways i think it would improve the comment section. I rather have quuality over quantity. Just an opinion.
Fern says
Clay i like KD but we have almost zero shot at him from the get go. In my opinion he either stays in OKC or goes to GS. He wants that ring NOW.
KevTheBold says
Excellent idea Darius !!
Now to the anonymous poster, your reply lacks coherency for a sports fan.
Maybe a tabloid would serve you better, because your speculations of his off court personality is meaningless here.
Clay Bertrand says
Fern,
My comment was all tongue in cheek sarcasmo……lol.
Kevin Durant’s legacy doesn’t align with our current stage of development. Unfortunately, although I like that we will pursue Whiteside, I don’t think he will choose to come to us for similar reasons. I do see him as at least a possibility though and I will be hoping!! He really is worth going hard after and maxing out when you consider the dearth of rim protectors and 7 footers who can exist in the modern game.
I was skeptical of some of Whiteside’s empty stats earlier this season but there is no doubt that he can affect the game on the Defensive end and that ALONE should make him a priority signing for us.
TempleOfJamesWorthy says
Just to chime in:
Dunn vs. DAR — DAR has proven he can play at some level in the NBA. Anything about Dunn is a projection. At this point, it seems about an equal risk either way.
DAR’s defense — I remember Charles Barkley’s rookie year. Dominant offensive genius Kurt Rambis repeatedly took Barkley to school. Barkley never became a dominant defender, but he was adequate and became a Hall-of-Famer. I’m not saying DAR is a Hall-of-Famer, but I don’t think we have a large enough sample size to determine he will be a complete bust on defense either.
DAR’s bad judgement — Imagine if you were a 19-year-old kid handed the world on a platter in an environment where filling your teammate’s very expensive car with popcorn is considered a funny prank. Are you SURE you’d exercise 100% good judgement in all instances? I suspect I’d make a dumb mistake or two under those circumstances.
If trading DAR would have netted the Lakers a bona fide superstar (Cousins, Paul George, Jimmy Butler, etc.), I would have supported it. Trading DAR for another unproven rookie other than Simmons or Ingram would be, at best, a lateral move.
Duane A. Duke says
Jordan Clarkson was a second round pick who made all rookie first team, DAR was first round 2nd pick and barely made all rookie 2nd team. Much more is expected from a 2nd pick. JS
ThemightyQ says
That’s why your name is anonymous smh.
Ken says
The point guard is the most important player in BBall. I watched every game, and i saw Russell as a lost defender. He was turnover prone and telegraphs many of his passes. He is slow and does not have moves to the basket. He doesn’t dunk. 41% is weak for a shooter. There are so many awesome point guards out there, you’d think the Lakers could do much better. All the wishing and hoping and benefit of doubt is unlikely to pan out in Russell.
KevTheBold says
Yes Ken, that’s why the Lakers are keeping him.
R says
Robert: “They said (Nick Young) was cheap.”
And as we all know, things are usually cheap for a reason.
Drew Gordon says
Look, Ken,
There is this little thing called context, ok? Think Byron ball and Kobe circus for starters. And he doesn’t dunk? This is your profound insight into why he won’t pan out? Does Curry dunk? He certainly seems to have panned out without dunking on people. Sigh*
Darius,
Sorry for the acid-tinged response, but some of these jokers don’t have the brains god gave a goose.
Anonymous says
Excellent idea Darius !!
Now to the anonymous poster, your reply lacks coherency for a sports fan.
Maybe a tabloid would serve you better, because your speculations of his off court personality is meaningless here.
____
I guess if you say so it must be true. After all you have a “real name.” Thanks for the constructive discussion.
Anonymous says
Darius, I understand your moderation point. But as far as regular posters go, I think there are only two groups who call out people for posting anonymously. Those who use it as a cheap rhetorical device to bolster their own posts and those who actually mean it. IMO the latter group would be well-advised to take a few days off because they are starting to confuse reality and virtual reality.
This should be a place for exchanging thoughts, not a place where regular users try to control the discourse.
rr says
Posting as Anonymous on a site that is set up the way this one is a negative in two ways:
1. It removes responsibility for what you have said in the past, since it is hard to tell the various Anonymi apart. So, especially if you want to mock and lecture people, as a couple of the Anonymi are prone to doing, you should do it under a consistent, pseudonymous handle so that people remember you and what you say becomes part of your track record.
2. It de-contextualizes the discussion itself, which makes it harder to exchange ideas, not easier. When I say something about the team or the FO or a young player or whatever, anyone who reads my posts and cares about my opinions will have the context of what I have said in the past to frame it. Posting as Anonymous removes that context.
So, people who want to participate but have identity concerns should choose a random handle that offers no clue as to who they are, and the handle could be as innocuous as Lakerperson or LakerFan123.
KevTheBold says
Wrong again anonymous, it amazes how out of phase you are.
If you really ‘mean it’, you would have the fortitude to stand behind your posts, not having to hide behind your anonynous curtain.
This place is like home, it’s about community discourse, in this case Lakers fans who stand up to be recognized when they speak.
As your blank words demonstrate: Nameless shadows throwing eggs from behind fences, have no reason to reason.
Josh says
So the warriors should trade Stephen curry
Anonymous says
You guys are taking your (anonymous) handles waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to seriously…
Lakers Guru says
This article was extremely well thought out & penned DARIUS…. I couldn’t agree with u more… Thank u….
rr says
Anon at 829 AM:
Actually, you are the one taking yourself too seriously, since you could just do what everybody else here does: pick a handle and talk about the Lakers. You also do not appear to understand the purpose of having a handle.
Anonymous says
Because Steve Nash had great foot speed and was a great defender? What about Steph Curry? He’s under sized. What about Nate Robinson? Name a great point guard with a championship ring outside of Kyrie Irving who only earned his because he played with Lebron who had high foot speed.
Anonymous says
Let go of it already. I just happen to disagree with you. Deal with it!
I just have my doubts that the type of contextualization that you’re talking about is really helpful. Psychology tells us that the human mind is prone to constructing self-serving narratives. I don’t think those narratives are helpful in general, and when it comes to this site in particular I think there have been a few narratives that were constructed around certain posters that have shaped discussions in a negative way. That’s my opinion. Period! (Or exclamation point. :P)
Now lets talk about this discussion. I commented on an article about D’Angelo Russell and pointed out that as far as I(!) am concerned I want to root for players who are not only talented but who I find likeable. I illustrated what I meant by referring to publicly available information.
Please note that I did not suggest that everybody else had to see it the same way. If all you care about is talent, I don’t have a problem with that (though it would be an interesting discussion what relation talent and character have when it comes to achieving success).
Now some anonymous poster who goes by the handle “KevTheBold” (I have no idea who exactly this guy is) found that unacceptable and started to lecture me on what I was REALLY thinking.
Whenever I replied to him it was perfectly clear that I was the same guy as before. But he thinks I’m throwing eggs from behind because my handle is “Anonymous” and not “EdTheBolt” or whatever.
I find it hard to take this kind of discussion seriously. And I don’t think it adds to the quality of the site. When Darius deactivates anonymous posting he will probably enable certain zealots and bullies. I assume he’s aware of it, though, and thinks that the benefits outweigh the costs.
So you got what you want. Be happy. 😉
Kareeme says
Anonymous,
Reading back, your comments were par for the course. Although they were sandwiched in with a bunch of “Anonymous” posters who may or may have not been you, which is confusing. What I found personally frustrating with your posts was your dismissal of other people’s informed and considerate responses.
For example, you ignored/dismissed claims that:
1. Russell’s phone might have been hacked by a former girlfriend.
2. Rookie year performance is a poor indicator of potential, especially for PGs (one of the hardest NBA positions to play).
3. And evidence that Russell did perform well as a player. For example, he was top-20 in nearly every measurable category among PGs.) As a 19-year old rookie, that is exceptional.
Most of your points are hot takes and you don’t appear ready to engage in discussion around all the provocative (and non-evidence based) claims you made. Concerns about your name stem less from the handle and more from how you are handling conversation.
Your last post is the most transparent you’ve been. You don’t like D’Angelo’s persona, so nothing anyone says about D’Lo as a player will convince you that he is a legitimate piece for the future. You are packaging a personality test as informed analysis.
When the Lakers picked Russell, everyone acknowledged that he was a 3-year project and that Okafor was the more NBA ready player. We will not see the fruition of those hopes for another two years. In the meantime, you can continue your psychoanalysis of a 19 year old.
Clay Bertrand says
Honestly, I can see both sides of ANONYMOUSGATE.
On one hand, I really agree with rr’s reasoning as it relates to getting confused and not being able to form a track record of understanding of where an Anonymous poster is coming from.
I have gotten to know a lot of the folks in here by their handle and their visions of the team. I could rattle off a dozen handles or more and I feel like I know where each person is coming from with their takes. I enjoy that recognition and knowing the context in which a person is posting and HAS posted.
At the same time, if someone makes a comment Anonymously, sometimes its just because they are using another device and can’t easily use their established handle. I think we have all done this before. Very often the Anonymous posts offer a salient point or good reasoning.
For ME, I just get confused between multiple Anonymous posts when there gets to be too many and then we are all posting the TIME the Anonymous post was done etc. to identify it. I just want to know who is saying what. That’s all. I don’t care if they wanna bad mouth my take or say something I think is lame. That’s what free speech and being open to differing view points means. I’ve jumped people’s posts and their takes on things a lot of times but I always try to be respectful. Nothing personal in FB&G—-We are FAMILY after all and we all want the same things.
All that said, I think Darius is really just trying to eliminate the DRIVE BY Anonymous Troll post that trickles thru from time to time and require a little more accountability. I get that intention. This site is pretty good about being a TROLL FREE zone.
I am not militantly against the Anonymous posting because sometimes its needed and yields good talking points. I can filter out the nonsense posts from those who actually present salient points.
But just like everything in America, you get a few turds in the punch bowl and they shut down the whole dance!!!!
Go Lakers!!!!!!!!!! Buck Foston!!!!!!!
Garadich says
For all of his faults, after seeing the Russell fiasco the one thing I think Byron probably did well was reign him (and Randle) in. I didn’t like all the public criticism, but we also don’t see all the behind the scenes interactions and Russell, in particular, was probably a lot more immature than any fan realizes. I think what Scott did was give two spoiled, one-and-done players a taste of playing time, then pull it away and make them earn PT for the first time in their lives. They definitely played better when they got back in the lineup and their MPG were comparable to KAT and Okafor for the games they played. By contrast, Nance played much more consistent minutes much earlier in the season, but he was a 4 year college player and hardly a star recruit out of HS so he was probably more mature and less entitled. A few years down the road I wouldn’t be surprised if one or both of them sees what Byron was doing and gives him a little credit (for that one thing!). Regardless, I love this core and hope the FO doesn’t move more than one of them (I’m guessing Clarkson and Nance or Randle will be dangled in trade talks in the next few years.)
Jdubthelaker says
Deangelo will be a superstar and I too dont understand y other people dont see it yet. His defense is not as bad as people think i watched every game and he did get lost but still showed flashes of defensive potential in between. Remember one of his key attributes was his above average arm length and he is a decent 6’5, his defense will be much better than Steph is only 6″3. People want everything now and dont have patience with a 19 yr old, those people to me are the ones that lack basketball Xs & Os as they have no idea what it takes to make a superstar. His work ethic is great so far and he has all the talent to be a superstar, mark my words!
Jdubthelaker says
Also Ingram will also be a major problem in this league, the kid is so long and has major skills ROY is my prediction i believe we will be in contention much faster than people think especially with a top tier FA center.
Comrade says
Don’t forget either his ability to post up smaller defenders and punish them on the block. He already showed glimpses of that last season. In a free flowing offense, his passing and finishing ability out of the post will be a huge asset and he will eventually draw double teams leaving Clarkson and/or Ingram open on the wing. I’m sure Kobe has and will continue to work with Russell on this aspect of his game. If he can develop even a fraction of Kobes footwork in the post, look out. I agree this kid is going to be special! The future is looking very bright.
rr says
Let go of it already. I just happen to disagree with you. Deal with it!
=====
And yet, while I need to let it go, you then posted a multi-paragraph screed about the issue explaining your position yet again.
If you were the kind of person who just talked Lakers in a polite way and didn’t go meta, the Anonymous schtick might be OK. But like I said, if you want to go meta—tell people what to let go of, direct them to deal with things on your terms, etc…IOW, if you want to be a guy like KevTheBold—then you should get a handle so you are not confused with anyone else when you are behaving in that manner.
Anonymous says
Kareeme, I actually do think Russell can be a legitimate piece for the future. At this point I just don’t find him particularly likeable. Which doesn’t mean I despise him but I see certain red flags. Or as I put it in my original post, I continue to be unsure about his character.
As for the video incident, aside from all the details I think there’s a general consensus that it involved immaturity on his part. I don’t think it’s plausible that he himself gave the video to the media but it’s still not exactly a feel-good story about him. When I commented on the link that I posted I conceded that he probably did learn something from the incident. But I also explained why his remarks didn’t sit well with me.
Clay, anonymous posting does make things harder to follow. I only later saw there has been at least one other “Anonymous” who also questioned Russell’s maturity. The main reason why I haven’t used a handle is because I don’t post every day but only occasionally (and not with the purpose of getting into lengthy discussions as I have now but just to add another point of view to a particular issue). The default handle has been great for that.
Anonymous says
rr, telling you to let it go was my attempt to focus on my general perception of the discussion without getting lost in details. Maybe it was a mistake to try to explain afterwards that my issue is not that I don’t understand what you say but that I don’t agree with it. I thought that point was worth adding but maybe I was actually saying the same things over again or getting lost in details after all.