It is time for the Los Angeles Lakers faithful to put the Kyrie Irving rumors to bed. The Irving and LeBron James reunion sounded cute this offseason but to build something stable and get back into consistent contention again, D’Angelo Russell is the answer.
Russell has been everything this fanbase has been asking for, if not more. When you look at the leadership, offensive skill-set, and just the fact how much he constantly shows he wants to be here.
When LeBron makes a ridiculous pass or Anthony Davis sends a ball into the fourth row, his reactions are priceless, just like us fans. How do you not want a guy like this?
Pay this man. pic.twitter.com/C3jEBl2QKT
— Laker Central (@LakerCentral365) April 1, 2023
D’Angelo Russell this season:
Lakers fans are unfortunately notorious for giving up on players after just 1 or 2 bad games, and that just might be the most frustrating part of it all. It is an 82-game season for a reason, it happens, just look at the bigger picture. This new crew has only played 22 games together and they look like a top-3 caliber team in the Western Conference.
In the very small sample size the Lakers’ are already 5-0 with LeBron, Davis, and himself in the lineup. Russell’s plus/minus in 14 games is plus 116. He’s averaging 17.1 points, 6.3 assists, and shooting 39.8% from three in those contests.
Russell isn’t going to stunt Austin Reaves’ development either considering how unselfish of a player he is. The tandem has already shown that if you can handle, pass, and shoot, you will thrive next to both of LA’s superstars. Now, they hold down the Lakers’ backcourt together, and that area hasn’t looked this promising in a long time.
Time for the Lakers to stop name-chasing:
The talent that Kyrie Irving possesses is undeniable. But the best ability in pretty much any sport is availability. Nothing Kyrie Irving has done since his second season in Boston (games played-wise) has said you can trust him and has quickly turned into one of the most unreliable players in the NBA.
Sure, the Lakers’ would be good in the games Davis, James, and Kyrie play, but realistically how often is that going to happen? If one is out for a period of time we could re-enter 2021-2022 territory again. What we do know is all the depth that Rob Pelinka was able to accumulate at the deadline will all of a sudden be gone again.
If you are a season ticket holder, or sit anywhere near the court particularly, I would strongly advise against the idea of this. Kyrie has already had two fans booted this past week and only one win to show for it. A two-to-one ejection-to-win ratio.
Lakers outlook:
All of the Lakers’ pieces are beginning to get healthy at the right time, and that could mean a deep run as soon as this postseason. Considering how quickly they gelled on and off the court, without really being at full force for many portions of their time together. It is a scary sight for the rest of the NBA, especially the Western Conference.
This is already a team no one wants to see this year. By the time next year rolls around (considering the pieces remain the same) their floor feels like Western Conference Finals.