D'Angelo Russell Discussion: Adopting A Professional Attitude

Discussion in 'Lakers Discussion' started by The Original 81, Jun 25, 2015.

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  1. tada

    tada - Lakers All Star -

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    Nope, I'm not taking it easy on the kid. He could find ways to be effective without the ball. And he was a SG his whole life before converting to PG in college. No excuses. He is our #2 pick.
     
    tada, Oct 30, 2015
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  2. ElginTheGreat

    ElginTheGreat - Lakers MVP -

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    Taking account what actually happened in the game is taking it easy on him?

    Okay.
     
    ElginTheGreat, Oct 30, 2015
    #1522
  3. tada

    tada - Lakers All Star -

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    No, making excuses for him being lackluster all throughout the preseason (except that game against inferior competition - Maccabi ) AND yesterday's game is taking it easy on him.

    Okay?
     
    tada, Oct 30, 2015
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  4. trodgers

    trodgers Administrator Staff Member

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    I want ether Russell or Huertas on the court every second of the game.
     
    trodgers, Oct 30, 2015
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  5. ElginTheGreat

    ElginTheGreat - Lakers MVP -

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    Me too. They are clearly our best playmakers and the ball actually moves when they are running the show.
     
    ElginTheGreat, Oct 30, 2015
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  6. tada

    tada - Lakers All Star -

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    So evidently, D'Angelo got the 6th most touches. And he got the 6th most minutes. And he's our 6th-8th best player. I don't see the problem here.
     
    tada, Oct 30, 2015
    #1526
  7. ElginTheGreat

    ElginTheGreat - Lakers MVP -

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    Well, think of it like this. (and I'm really not trying to be a jerk and get into a big internet back and forth. Everyone is entitled to their opinion) If it wasn't a problem, then why did we immediately make the change back? Why did Kobe go to Byron literally the next day and tell him to put the ball in Russell's hands? I think Russell is going to still have his struggles and he can definitely shoot better, but to play him off ball suddenly was just a bad idea to me.

     
    ElginTheGreat, Oct 30, 2015
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  8. LaVarBallsDad

    LaVarBallsDad - Lakers Legend -

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    Good luck with that. LOL! We're going to be hearing this all season. Everything Okafor has a good game; the good ones will be highlighted when Russell struggles. Oh, and when Okafor struggles for a period of time, which he will, there will be no peep at all. Just like how he struggled during preseason. Not to mention, I've ready tweets, seen him struggle for post position, have conditioning issues, have trouble with length, etc. Hey, though, that's okay.

    You've seen the advanced stats on Russell's play in this system where he's not being utilized correctly. Their not all that bad at all. The only thing that has me disappointed is the shooting. He needs to start shooting better; that will open more things up for him. That will come, though.
     
    LaVarBallsDad, Oct 30, 2015
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  9. LaVarBallsDad

    LaVarBallsDad - Lakers Legend -

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    What an idiot we have for a coach; Kobe has to make adjustments for the team because Byron is a dumba**
     
    LaVarBallsDad, Oct 30, 2015
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  10. ElginTheGreat

    ElginTheGreat - Lakers MVP -

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    Pretty much.

    And yeah, I would like to see him shoot better. I think he needs to look to go the rim more often and take some closer jumpers to get himself going. For all the knocks on his athleticism and speed, he gets to the rim pretty well. i'd like to see more of that.
     
    ElginTheGreat, Oct 30, 2015
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  11. lakerjones

    lakerjones Moderator Staff Member

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    Agreed all the way. Unfortunately, Byron doesn't seem to trust Russell to run the offense yet, which makes some sense because he's just a 19 year old kid. But he really has to let him do it and develop him in that direction. That's what the FO wants and that's why they chose him over Okafor. They want him to run the show.

    I was skeptical about Russell being able to do so after the summer league, but I generally liked what I saw out of him in the preseason and I think he's pretty poised out there. Alternatively I liked the idea of him running the bench squad, but after seeing Huertas finally in action it was clear that he belongs there as he's so smooth at the position. Huertas is way better than I thought he was going to be (I was counting on him being a third stringer for the most part).

    So let's develop this potentially very dynamic duo of Russell and Clarkson together right now rather than later. Only way to do that is to have Russell start.

    After seeing Kobe in that first game I think more than ever that he should be playing even less. Bring in MWP at times at the SF with the starters. At least he won't be as much of a black hole and he'll provide some defensive spark.
     
    lakerjones, Oct 30, 2015
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  12. therealdeal

    therealdeal Moderator Staff Member

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    :D

    Wow this contentious really quickly. Ya'll should relax.

    It's fair to be critical of Russell. The kid is the #2 pick and is supposed to literally save our franchise. The expectations couldn't be higher and they NEED to be that high. Not only is he supposed to carry us, he's supposed to be the reason we attract a star FA next season. So far he's fallen short of expectations. Let people vent that out.

    At the same time... we've got 81 more games. There's so much time for Russell to develop it's ridiculous. Not every 19 year old is going to look like Stanley Johnson, Jahlil Okafor, Emmanuel Mudiay, Julius Randle... I mean those guys have a different genetic makeup than 99% of the planet. They're grown men in young bodies. Russell is a typical 19 year old twiggy out there and he's going to take time and repetitions to get to where he wants to go. How long did it take for Stephen Curry to be who he is today? That's your analog. That's your time-frame.

    And yeah he's going to get compared to Mudiay and Okafor a lot. Better get used to that if you're a Russell-ite. No reason to get upset about it, just be objective. Russell has been underwhelming relative to his peers, even in pre-season. The advanced stats show he's doing a good job of fitting in and working for the team, but he's not doing a good job of standing out. As Laker fans we've been spoiled by greatness and when a kid with his expectation level isn't standing out, the fans are going to be vocal about it. It's important to keep everything in perspective. Down the line in a year or two when Russell, Randle, and Clarkson are clicking and have found their rhythm together, you'll be the last one laughing. Doubters will feel silly and trust me, they want to feel silly.

    I was an Okafor guy through and through for EXACTLY the reason we're seeing now: he's ready today. So is Mudiay and so is Stanley Johnson and Myles Turner and to a lesser extent Justise Winslow. I wanted the kid who would come in and impact right away in an obvious way, but the Lakers played the long game with Russell. That's fine. I've come around and I believe in him and the FO immensely. Still, it's going to take patience and after one game? We should be ashamed if we're passing final judgement. We should also still be critical of him in certain aspects. The #2 pick should never fade away in a game, even if the coach doesn't want him to handle the ball as a PG for some reason. Find ways to impact the game. Rebound, hustle, get after it defensively...

    Let's all take a breath. One game guys. We've got another 15 years to go.
     
    therealdeal, Oct 30, 2015
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  13. tada

    tada - Lakers All Star -

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    No worries, I think this is a healthy discussion. I do think his talents are better utilized as a PG. I am just saying he should be more effective even when playing off-ball. I mean, 4pts/3reb/2ast/3tov in 26 minutes is VERY low production, no matter how you slice it.
     
    tada, Oct 30, 2015
    #1533
  14. tada

    tada - Lakers All Star -

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    Thanks, couldn't have said it better myself.
     
    tada, Oct 30, 2015
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  15. LaVarBallsDad

    LaVarBallsDad - Lakers Legend -

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    Do you watch the games and know what the system is? Do you know why the ball is being taken out of hishands relative to other rookies?
     
    LaVarBallsDad, Oct 30, 2015
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  16. LaVarBallsDad

    LaVarBallsDad - Lakers Legend -

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    I am working today, but I sure wish I could post more stuff relative to all the banter. Could be worse, though.
     
    LaVarBallsDad, Oct 30, 2015
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  17. ElginTheGreat

    ElginTheGreat - Lakers MVP -

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    If he averages that all season or even the first half of the season while being one of our primary ballhandlers, then yes I would agree and be upset with that production.
     
    ElginTheGreat, Oct 30, 2015
    #1537
  18. ElginTheGreat

    ElginTheGreat - Lakers MVP -

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    I'd also be more concerned if the advanced stats were different. They have consistently shown that we play better with him on the floor even if he isn't scoring a ton of points.

    I will also repeat that I don't think he needs to score a lot of points with Kobe, Clarkson, Lou, Randle, and Swaggy. I'd be okay with him not averaging a ton of points if he can get assists and hockey assists and play solid defense.
     
    ElginTheGreat, Oct 30, 2015
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  19. LaVarBallsDad

    LaVarBallsDad - Lakers Legend -

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    Bear in mind, it's not just advanced stats . People at Silver Screen and Roll and Forum Blue and Gold see the same problem. Zach Lowe just wrote a blurb on it.
     
    LaVarBallsDad, Oct 30, 2015
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  20. abeer3

    abeer3 - Lakers Legend -

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    right. what they had him to in game 1, anthony brown could have done. they threw him in the water (as we wanted and is appropriate), but they told him to hang onto the side of the pool. i'm glad they quickly recognized their error and plan to remedy it.
     
    abeer3, Oct 30, 2015
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