After a terrible start, D’Angelo Russell has been a fine entry for the Lakers. The team was in utter confusion at the beginning, with a lot of star power but not much balance. Plus, the injury concerns have really messed up their season. The front office of the Lakers had an eye on players like Russell, Beasley, Hachimura, Vanderbilt, and so on for a long time to bring in the balance they had been missing. Last February saw the front office rectifying their mistakes and getting rid of big names such as Westbrook and so on.
In exchange, they got the players they wanted. With Russell’s return, some other new entries made the Lakers a balanced and strong side. But the injuries kept increasing pressure as the Lakers could not climb to the top 10 for a long time. They were the 11th seed until Anthony Davis turned things around and got his team to 9th place. Clearly, the Lakers were about to cruise into the top six spots of the Western Conference. But it seems very hard for the Lakers to continue the momentum for a little longer than usual.
The Lakers Lose Again Despite Russell’s Terrific Comeback
The Los Angeles franchise was enjoying a three-match winning streak until it was cut short on Sunday against the New York Knicks. As a result, the Lakers fell back to the 11th seed again. It seemed like that play-in spot was sure for the team. But Darvin Ham’s team has to fight to get there yet again. D’Angelo Russell returned after an injury that made him miss as many as six games against the Raptors.
He came back with a bang as he scored an impressive 28 points in his comeback match. He continued his remarkable return with another 33 points plus 8 assists and 5 rebounds against the Knicks. But could not help the team continue their winning run. Anthony Davis could not repeat his performances in the last few games, as he scored only 17 points. Hence, D’lo did not get enough help from his teammates.
Twitter Exploded With Applause For D’Angelo Russell
D'ANGELO RUSSELL CAN'T MISS.
— NBA (@NBA) March 13, 2023
He's 12-14 on ESPN pic.twitter.com/bfh5Agu57p
DLO absolutely cookin.
— Chris Manning (@LD2K) March 13, 2023
D’Angelo Russell is HOOPING!!!!! @Lakers
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) March 13, 2023
D’Angelo Russell leading the Lakers to the playoffs pic.twitter.com/oNIe5rn9Hn
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) March 13, 2023
my grandpa had Jerry West
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) March 13, 2023
my dad had Magic Johnson
I have D’Angelo Russell
Somewhere Marcelo Huertas is watching D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle duel with a giant smile
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) March 13, 2023
The Lakers need to extend D’Angelo Russell before he hits free agency. He is a perfect fit on this team.
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) March 13, 2023
But on Twitter, fans exploded with support and appreciation for D’lo. It seems like the Lakers may have lost, but D’Angelo Russell won the heart with his incredible fightback for the team. The fans can bet on the 27-year-old point guard in the following games. If he does not sustain any more injuries. Anthony Davis will need to repeat his magic in the past few games again. He will need to help D’lo and get the team to the playoffs.
It is a matter of a few games when the table can turn pretty quickly. After winning three games back to back, the Lakers reached the 9th spot, and losing the very next game, fell back to 11th. Hence it is clear that almost all the teams, from top to bottom, have a chance to get to the postseason. With James out for an uncertain period, the Lakers will need to hold on to their best form and not take any team for granted.
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