D’Angelo Russell is getting cold, but in a bad way
The Lakers are going to need D’Angelo Russell if they want to win games this season
This is supposed to be D’Angelo Russell’s year. After lighting it up in Summer League and preseason, Russell has fallen into a mini shooting slump.
“Shooting slump, you say? But he scored 20 points on Sunday!”
Yes, Russell scored 20 points on 7-for-20 shooting. The game before that he scored 9 points on 3-for 14 shooting. Less than ideal numbers for someone who is supposed to be the Lakers go to guy.
However, Russell isn’t getting a ton of help either. His assist numbers should be higher than they are, but his teammates can’t seem to hold on to the ball.
Multiple times throughout Sunday’s game against OKC, Russell made some sweet passes that turned into 14 turnovers because of his teammates. Lou Williams finished as the team’s assist leader with six.
The biggest difference between the Thunder and the Lakers is a superstar. While the Lakers have a ton of young, talented players, they do not have a guy they can turn to when they need points in a hurry.
Next: Bold predictions for the season
Russell Westbrook has been that for OKC his entire career. If the Lakers plan on pushing for a playoff spot in the Western Conference this season, D’Angelo Russell is going to need to be that guy for the LakeShow.