Lakers: D’Angelo Russell Must Begin to Channel His Inner Magic Johnson
By Eric Yee
With a Tuesday night loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers have officially hit rock bottom
With Magic Johnson constantly making questionable outspoken comments about the Los Angeles Lakers organization, it’s sometimes hard to remember that he’s one of the greatest players of all time.
Things aren’t getting any better for the Lakers, but with nearly 20 percent of the season already gone, D’Angelo Russell would be wise to channel his Magic Johnson.
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One of the biggest pet peeves fans should have with Lakers players is how infrequently they utilize their expansive supply of resources, the most important one being former players.
For example, it is doubtful that Roy Hibbert has sought out help from Laker great, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and even if he has, I wouldn’t believe him because his post game is still god-awful
Similarly, considering D’Angelo Russell’s slow start, it is also unlikely that he has contacted arguably the best point-guard of all time in Magic Johnson.
17 games into the season, lack of chemistry and excuses for not catching Russell’s bullet passes, or finishing the subsequent layup opportunities, are unacceptable.
Just last game against the Philadelphia 76ers, he had a plethora of dimes, many of which teammates didn’t catch or finish, something that has become a reoccurring theme this season.
One of the best Magic Johnson anecdotes out there is the one about how he began firing passes at his teammates heads if they weren’t paying attention in practice. As a result, his teammates’ heads were constantly on a swivel looking for him to get them the ball.
Not saying this was how Showtime was born, but this was how Showtime was born.
At 2-14, the Lakers frustration levels are at an all time high, so how much harm could a few teammates with bumps on their heads really do?
Jordan Clarkson on his frustration level: "I would say pretty high, but I'm going to keep pushing."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) December 2, 2015
D’Angelo Russell’s upside wasn’t in his staggering athleticism or even his expert ball handling ability, instead it was his jaw dropping passing ability and superior basketball intelligence.
That said, Russell must use this IQ to channel his inner Magic Johnson, for the sake of the Lakers organization and fans everywhere.
Next: ICYMI: Dear Kobe 'A Letter From a Celtics Fan'
Do you think D’Angelo Russell should be more aggressive since the season is well under way? Let us know in the comments below.