Hoops Habit
Fansided

Lakers: Expectations For D’Angelo Russell’s Rookie Season

By Nathan Grubel

Jun 29, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (1) talks to the media during a press conference at the Toyota Sports Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 29, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (1) talks to the media during a press conference at the Toyota Sports Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Los Angeles Lakers will always have more pressure put on them than almost any other franchise in the NBA because of the market they play in, as well as the team’s history.

Winning means everything to Lakers fans, but the team hasn’t had much success over the last few seasons thanks to managing injuries to Kobe Bryant as well as trying to navigate through the rebuilding process.

ALSO ON HOOPSHABIT: The NBA’s 50 Greatest Players of All-Time

Things may turn around this year though because Los Angeles has a lot of young talent in the fold, mixed in with some key veterans including Bryant, Roy Hibbert and Lou Williams.

With the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, the Lakers selected combo guard D’Angelo Russell out of Ohio State with the belief that he has the talent and persona to be the next great LA star. While that may very well be true, there have been enough signs to point toward that being a few years away. With that being said, let’s take a look at how I see his rookie year panning out.

Offense

Russell wasn’t drafted to be a top-notch defender that’s for sure. Most of his value lies in his versatile offensive game that combines accuracy with flash.

Yes, Russell can be a big-time scorer with his sweet shooting stroke and impressive ball-handling skills, but it’s his passing that really sets him apart as a guard.

As far as basketball IQ’s go, Russell’s may be the most advanced out of anyone in his draft class. Seeing things three plays ahead on the court is his specialty, and when you have that kind of court vision, understanding of the game and ability to make on-target passes when needed, you become a different kind of floor general.

pjbni
pjbni /

Russell is great at making the tough pass look easy in the transition game, but he also excels at making the easy play in the halfcourt. What analysts tend to rave about is the ability to make the flashy play, which Russell does often, but not enough is ever said about making the simple pass.

Instead of looking into the lane for a difficult bounce pass, sometimes the shot is right there on the wing if you can time it right.

pjcat
pjcat /

Russell’s passing prowess will fit right in with the kinds of players he will have around him. More specifically, he has a lot of options in terms of shot makers.

Hibbert and Julius Randle can be great finishers in the pick-and-roll game, Bryant and Jordan Clarkson can slash and hit open jump shots and Nick Young is a good catch-and-shoot player when that’s what he’s focused on.

Bottom line, Russell has a lot of toys to play with. With all of the offensive talent around him, he will also have more freedom to do what he does best: shake defenders with his handle in order to create space for a pull-up shot or layup at the rim.

Russell doesn’t draw a lot of contact and get to the free throw line as much as he probably should, but he’s better than most at stopping and popping for a shot so he’s been able to get away with that a lot up until now. But if he wants to take his game to the next level? He will have to work on scoring off of easier looks.

Turnovers also proved to be a problem in Summer League, as his ability to see three plays ahead often wasn’t recognized by his teammates, leading to a lot of missed passes. There were also times when Russell tried to do too much individually and coughed up the ball or got it stripped after he tried to dribble through a double-team or drive into a tight space.

The good news is both of those problems can be fixed, it will just take him time as he goes through the growing pains of any rookie player in the NBA.

Defense

Russell doesn’t excel on the defensive end because of his lack of elite quickness and length. Sure, he can get the occasional steal or put a hand in his man’s face on the shot, but he’s not going to lock anyone down on that end of the floor.

Because he isn’t a great individual defender and doesn’t have the size or quickness to really be one, it’s going to be interesting to see who he guards routinely at the next level. Can he stay in front of quicker point guards? Does he have enough strength and size to guard wings?

There’s a great saying that often comes up in the league that says, “You are the position that you can guard.” That may be a good reason why combo guard is the term most associated with Russell and not strictly point guard or shooting guard.

Conclusion

Russell has a lot of talent on the offensive end, enough to be a special player someday in the mold of a Manu Ginobli or even James Harden if he becomes more aggressive at attacking the basket.

More from Los Angeles Lakers

His passing skill will never be questioned, just his decision-making and how he adapts to the teammates around him instead of expecting them to all come to his level. When he finds a balance between the two, the Lakers’ offense will begin to hum and really show major signs of improvement. Until then, there are going to be some growing pains.

There’s no doubt that Russell can become a decent two-way guard in time. Just don’t expect him to come out and light it up right away. Consistency will be his focus in year one. Once he fits himself firmly into his role and gets used to the team around him, then he can begin to focus on making adjustments to the other parts of his game.

Don’t worry, Lakers fans. You’re in good hands as long as Russell is in the driver’s seat.

Predicted 2015-16 Stat Line: 15.2 PPG, 6.2 AST, 3.6 RPG, 3.2 TO, 44 FG%, 35 3P%

Next: Los Angeles Lakers: Grading The Offseason

More from Hoops Habit

Home/Los Angeles Lakers