Getty Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell
After the Los Angeles Lakers lost Game 2 to the Memphis Grizzlies, D’Angelo Russell had some puzzling comments.
The one-time All-Star said he’s a “basketball” player for the Lakers and not a “point guard.”
“I’m a basketball player, you can’t keep saying point guard. … Basketball player with this team, basketball player with this team, not really a point guard role.”
– D’Angelo Russell 😳
(Via @SpectrumSN)
Lakers fans on Twitter weren’t happy with Russell after his comments. The lefty struggled in Game 2, finishing with five points while shooting 2-of-11 from the field and 1-of-5 from beyond the arc.
The Lakers and Grizzlies are tied at 1-1 in the best-of-seven series, with Game 3 set for April 22.
Russell is averaging 12.0 points and 5.5 assists against the Grizzlies while shooting 32.1% from the floor and 28.6% from 3. He has to play better moving forward for the Lakers to win the series and advance to the Western Conference Semifinals.
Games 3 and 4 are in Los Angeles at Crypto.com Arena.
D’Angelo Russell on Game 2: ‘I Was Just Missing Shots’
Russell played well in Game 1 for the Lakers. He had 19 points and seven assists and shot 7-of-17 overall and 3-of-9 from deep. The Ohio State product liked the looks he got in Game 2. He just couldn’t knock them down.
“I was just missing shots,” Russell said after Game 2. “I liked the shots I was getting. Honestly. Just missing them.”
The Lakers acquired Russell from the Minnesota Timberwolves at the trade deadline. The 27-year-old averaged 17.4 points and 6.1 assists with Los Angeles after the trade and helped the team clinch the seventh seed in the Western Conference. However, Russell has played poorly in two out of his last three games. He labored in the Lakers’ play-in game versus the Timberwolves, shooting 1-of-9 and ending with only two points in 23 minutes.
Russell becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. He will have made more than $138 million in his career once this offseason starts. D’Lo has played for the Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors and Timberwolves.
Analyst: Kyrie Irving Is Essentially a Turbo-Charged Version of D’Angelo Russell
In an April 20 column called “Lakers’ Early 2023 Free-Agent Targets,” Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report wrote that Kyrie Irving is a player the Lakers should target this summer. The Dallas Mavericks star guard becomes an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
“There have been whispers about the Lakers perhaps cooling on the idea of adding Kyrie Irving, but it’s hard to believe that’s a consensus opinion within the franchise,” Buckley wrote. “L.A. knows as well as anyone that stars win biggest in this league. And if it managed to lure Irving to town to team with his old championship running mate LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers would immediately have one of the best Big Threes in basketball. That core would admittedly have an uncomfortable amount of injury risk, and spending mega money on Irving could decimate the depth behind the Lakers’ stars. It still might be worth it given the immense amount of talent between these three. Irving is essentially a turbo-charged version of D’Angelo Russell. If the Lakers land Irving, they would immediately scratch itches for more ball-handling, shot-making, shot-creation and floor-spacing.”
Irving has been heavily connected to the Lakers since he played with LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2014-15 to 2016-17. “Uncle Drew” and “The King” helped the Cavaliers win the 2016 title over the Golden State Warriors in seven games. Cleveland became the first team in NBA history to erase a 3-1 series deficit in the Finals thanks to Irving and James.
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