Getty Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell
Los Angeles Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell had a poor Game 2 against the Memphis Grizzlies. The lefty finished with just five points while shooting 2-of-11 from the field and 1-of-5 from beyond the arc.
After the game, Russell talked about his rough night.
D’Angelo Russell: “I liked the shots I was getting honestly, I just missed them.”
The Grizzlies won Game 2 to even up the series at 1-1. The Lakers blew a golden opportunity to take a commanding 2-0 series lead, as Memphis superstar point guard Ja Morant didn’t play in Game 2. Russell did have four assists and seven rebounds, but he also turned the ball over three times.
Russell wasn’t the only player who struggled in Game 2. All-Star big man Anthony Davis shot 4-of-14 from the field for 13 points. AD had a plus-minus of -4 and got blocked several times at the rim. He and Russell will have to play much better in Game 3 for the Lakers to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Maybe the Lakers Shouldn’t Re-Sign D’Angelo Russell
Russell struggled in the Lakers’ play-in game versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. He shot 1-of-9 from the floor and finished with only two points in 23 minutes.
Los Angeles head coach Darvin Ham benched Russell for Dennis Schroder, a move D’Lo wasn’t upset about.
“We needed to win honestly,” Russell told reporters on April 14. “We needed to win. For me to dwell on it and be upset or confidence low, I don’t think that’s the right approach. Definitely want to do anything and everything I can do to not be in that position in the future.”
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Russell wants to re-sign with the Lakers this summer. However, the purple and gold would be wise to see how the Ohio State product finishes this postseason before making a final decision.
Russell will have made more than $138 million in his career once this offseason starts. He’s played for the Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors and Timberwolves.
1 Writer Thinks Kyrie Irving Will Be on the Lakers Next Season
Joe Vardon of The Athletic believes Kyrie Irving will be on the Lakers next season. Vardon covered LeBron James and Irving on the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2014-15 to 2016-17.
“I believe Irving will be a Laker next season,” Vardon wrote on February 9. “How’s that for a juxtaposition? Irving wants a four- or five-year contract, for the maximum money allowed. If he and the Mavericks reach agreement, it could be a five-year, $273 million deal. But Irving said he didn’t want to engage in negotiations now. ‘The business aspect of this is ruthless,’ he said. The Lakers can’t quite get to the four-year, $210 million max deal he would be eligible for outside of Dallas, but they can pay him north of $30 million per year. The teams with the cap space to pay Irving what he wants, outside of Dallas, are the Pistons, Magic, Pacers, Blazers and Spurs. They are all either rebuilding or, in Portland’s case, have a smaller, ball-dominant guard in Damian Lillard. In other words, getting that max deal outside of the Mavericks may not be possible.
“Enter the Lakers. James has made clear he wants to reunite with Irving. As partners in Cleveland, they won the 2016 NBA Finals, reached two others and were an otherwise dominant, unstoppable duo on offense. They have obviously patched up their differences that led to Irving demanding a trade away from LeBron in Cleveland in the summer of 2017. Irving’s apology helped.”
Irving is a better postseason performer than Russell. Kyrie has career postseason averages of 23.3 points and 4.8 assists. He won the 2016 championship with James on the Cavaliers.
Meanwhile, Russell has playoff averages of only 15.7 points and 5.4 assists.