"It's Jordan, Kobe, LeBron Top 3 period. And remember a lot of people don't have Kobe in their top 5. I think those people need to be drug tested."
- Gilbert Arenas
Tracy McGrady: "For me, it goes MJ, Kob, then Bron. Unanimous top 3."
Matt Barnes: "That's how it goes for me. I go to ESPN and they got all these lists of Kobe at 8 or outside the Top 10."
Tracy McGrady: "Straight disrespectful as a MF. Disrespectful to Kob."
CONT.
Zach Lowe proposes the Lakers go after Trae Young.
Udonis Haslem:
"Hell no, I don't like that. If you want Trae Young, then just keep DLo. That's 19 points a game right there on 47% shooting and 41% from 3. He may not be a great defender but he forsure as hell better than Trae"
Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves pushing for Lakers to bring back D'Angelo Russell.
Both Reaves and Davis have made it very clear their desire to continue playing with Russell.
Free agent Malik Beasley has reached agreement on a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, sources tell
@TheAthletic
@Stadium
. Agent Brian Jungreis of Par-Lay Sports & Entertainment negotiated the contract.
"I'm not going to react if D'Angelo Russell throws a turnover. He's too valuable to your offense for that. I'm just going to pull him to the side, tell him he needs to be better, then send him back out there."
- Mark Jackson
Rob Pelinka gave the Lakers LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Saved the Lakers by trading Russell Westbrook for D'Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt
Drafted Austin Reaves.
And fans are saying he never does anything right lol
"One guy I'd like to shout out is D'Angelo Russell. He's the difference maker. He sets the table. He can go out and win you a game. He can drop 30 or give you a 40 piece, he can also go out and get assists. He's what the Lakers need."
- NBA Great Isiah Thomas
Dwyane Wade insists Lakers continue to build their chemistry including bringing back D'Angelo Russell.
"When LeBron was out, it gave them a chance to build chemistry outside of LeBron as a team. AD can be at that level. You got a chance to see what DLo and Austin Reaves brings"
@Terroriser
Nogla - retiring
Wildcat - not playing as much
Basically - not playing as much
Lui - not playing as much
Moo - retiring
Droidd - M.I.A
Racingcatz - M.I.A
Sark - retired
Delirious - on and off
Smi77y - not playing as much
Panda - not playing as much
Brian the only one left...
"A year in a system for D'Angelo Russell with JJ Redick, I believe this could bold well for his overall impact. He had a really good year this year, he just struggled against Denver."
- Greg Anthony
D'Angelo Russell has the same stat production from when he was in Minnesota.
He was also -58 in Minnesota and is a +143 in LA. That's a different level of production helping a 13th seed into the playoffs.
Austin Reaves on Rui Hachimura and D'Angelo Russell getting chastised:
"I don't like it. Those two played their hearts out this year for us. We certainly wouldn't have been where we were at without them. That's just how the playoffs go sometimes. "
D'Angelo Russell becomes the 3rd full time Lakers starting point guard to shoot above 45% from the field and 38% from 3.
Others to do it:
Steve Nash (2013)
Magic Johnson (1990)
Peep this π D'Angelo Russell's impact with the Lakers
This season:
*33-24 when he plays
*0-6 when he doesn't
*12-2 when he plays in the Clutch
*6-6 when he doesn't (2-10 when he doesn't play in the final 3 mins)
*2nd behind LeBron in 4th quarter +/-
Lakers are 54-32 when D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves start together. Stop saying they don't work.
Lakers are 43-23 when D'Angelo Russell start with LeBron James. Stop saying he doesn't fit him.
Lakers are 52-28 when D'Angelo Russell starts with Anthony Davis.
DLo: "Yeah, that's a problem as well." (On if players don't know their set roles)
Vando: "I don't know what I'm on to be honest." (On if he's on a minutes restriction)
LeBron: "We had a lineup out there that hasn't really played together."
Even players question Darvin Ham
D'Angelo Russell indicates via his podcast that he is not happy with how he is being used.
"I can be at my best when I'm operating in the pick and roll. You bench me out there for missing shots and you just have me spotting up."
Austin Reaves has expressed his desire to continue playing with D'Angelo Russell. Has mentioned the two are rapidly becoming very close and would like to continue building as a backcourt.
"I see the amount of hate he gets, truth be told it's annoying. Basketball has turned into a numbers game. No one ever pays attention to the truth about it anymore. You can't tell me he isn't one of the 3 best players to ever play the game."
- Richard Hamilton
@NBAMemes
DLo - All-Star, led Nets to playoffs, big part of Wolves success
Randle - All-Star, Most Improved Player, led Knicks to playoffs
Ingram - All-Star, Most Improved Player, 2nd face of Pelicans
JC β Sixth Man of the Year
Nance, Kuzma and Lonzo all really good starters
Highest Scoring marks for the Lakers this season
D'Angelo Russell - 44
Anthony Davis - 41
LeBron James - 40
LeBron James - 40
LeBron James - 40
Anthony Davis - 40
D'Angelo Russell - 39
Anthony Davis - 37
Anthony Davis - 37
Anthony Davis - 37
LeBron James - 37
D'Angelo Russell is in Paris cheering on his Lakers teammates LeBron and AD (and his best friend Devin Booker)
Lakers fans will tell you he's a bad teammate tho
Fun Fact: In the 2009-2010 season, Kobe Bryant hit 7 Game Winners in total for that season. This was the most by a single player in one season.
ALSO, had Kobe missed these game winners and the Lakers lose those games. LA would have been the 8th seed instead of the 1st seed
Chandler Parsons backs D'Angelo Russell:
"He doesn't even know if he's going to be there next week and that's frustrating to a player. He's getting majority of the blame. Why would he buy in to what they are trying to do if all he hears is that he's getting traded?"
I say the Lakers should bring back DLo and LeBron. Keep the core. It's a great core with a healthy Vando. But sign a DAMN BIG BEHIND AD. Like a rebounding big please.
Tracy McGrady: "Go guard him."
Gilbert Arenas: "Quit talking about that man's advanced stats or how inefficient his numbers say. Go try guarding him. Go put your hand in that cage."
Tracy McGrady: "Go GUARD him."
"The most popular thing to do right now is point the finger at DLo. It's popular, but it's also incorrect. He's not the reason they lost. I'm pointing the finger at rebounding."
Matt Barnes: "Straight crazy. I be telling them too. Who is coming up with these lists? This shit is like real life disrespectful to him"
Gilbert Arenas: "Because they look at analytics. They look at a sheet of paper. They don't look at the game. They don't like the eye test"
Anthony Davis and D'Angelo Russell were 3rd in the entire league in PnR efficiency post trade deadline.
Only those ahead of them:
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray
Joel Embiid and James Harden
"Shout out to D'Angelo Russell. He's had 6 three pointers the last 2 games. They've looked great since he's been back in the lineup. He didn't speak with reporters last night might be a little frustrated."
- Shams
"He's not the best point guard in the game. What he is however is an elite offensive talent. He's a guy you have to give enough rope to be successful. "
- Mark Jackson on D'Angelo Russell
My Top 25 Greatest of All Time
1. Michael Jordan
2. Kobe Bryant
3. LeBron James
4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
5. Magic Johnson
6. Tim Duncan
7. Shaquille O'Neal
8. Larry Bird
9. Bill Russell
10. Stephen Curry
11. Hakeem Olajuwon
12. Wilt Chamberlain
13. Oscar Robertson
Chiney Ogwumike:
"The Lakers need to give DLo more meaningful minutes and let him play his best basketball. I don't see them (Lakers) getting a player in trade that they hope and dream for."
DLo was averaging 27.5 points the last 2 games and not one peep out of Lakers fans about it but the moment he has one atrocious game, the slander is loud and obnoxious π
Players who generated the most open looks this season
1. Nikola Jokic - 42.2%
2. Ja Morant - 41.5%
3. Trae Young - 41.1%
4. Chris Paul - 40.3%
5. LeBron James - 38.4%
6. Darius Garland - 38.0%
7. James Harden - 37.9%
8. D'Angelo Russell - 37.5%
9. LaMelo Ball - 37.4%
"Getting to see Bron and AD and even D'Angelo. You know DLo, he's a worker. You get an outside point of view on a guy like Austin Reaves and then you get in front of him - he's a super hard worker."
Taurean Prince on his time with the Lakers
Austin Rivers defends D'Angelo Russell:
"The numbers speak for themselves when he puts up 17-18 a game. He averaged that on the year. It's not his fault. And even in games where he goes 3 for 12, where the f*ck is Reaves at? Where is Dinwiddie at?"
Zach Lowe: "People were saying the Steve Nash/Dwight Howard Lakers were more disappointing. They made the playoffs! Kobe made sure of that. This team is 17 games below .500."
D'Angelo Russell received a lot of media love today.
Shannon Sharpe: "The Lakers fought. They fought. Down 7, when no one could even buy a basket. Then D'Angelo Russell, he gets it going in the 3rd with some floaters. He goes on a 9-0 himself and gives the Lakers a 2pt lead."
Jaxson Hayes says he's very excited to play along side LeBron James and D'Angelo Russell.
"It's going to be fun. The lobs I can get from LeBron, I know DLo is still there now. It's just going to be a fun time with those guys."
I seriously can't believe Lakers fans are twerking for Jerami Grant.
I've watched him long enough to say he's a great player on a bad team. He's a so-so player on a good team.
He's basically a way older Rui Hachimura. I much rather have Rui than him
"He has the right to feel that way. Minnesota was trending in building around Ant-Man. You also had KAT there. He was going to lose that battle of pecking order. The Lakers want him to come in and be him, not someone he's not."
- Shannon Sharpe
Kevin Garnett became a champion after leaving Minnesota.
Kevin Love became a champion after leaving Minnesota.
Andrew Wiggins became a champion after leaving Minnesota.
D'Angelo Russell is on the verge of becoming a champion after leaving Minnesota.
KAT, it's your turn.
D'Angelo Russell returning to the Lakers after constantly being in trade rumors all off-season and fans wishing death on him because he missed a few shots.