D'Angelo Russell Discussion: Adopting A Professional Attitude

We need a new coach next year who will emphasize and trust these guys to get out on the break more. Given JC and Randle's abilities to get steals, just add a two way wing and watch them push up court!

 

Yeah I expected a LOT more fast breaking with a) our young group and b) Byron's constant struggle for conditioning and c) our 80s influence on the fast break which Byron was a huge part of.

Russell said something interesting in his post-game press conference about how he and Randle have to put aside their egos and work together to make good things happen. Now I know just watching Randle out on the floor he's got himself a hell of an ego much like his mentor Kobe. Russell's ego seems quieter and more like Gasol or maybe Durant? A guy who shows great confidence in himself but isn't necessarily a rah-rah guy like Kobe was. I can see how their two personalities might clash at first and I've been watching their interactions on the court a lot. They're not bad, but they're not great either. There's definitely a sibling kind of vibe too where Randle was here first as the savior and now Russell is here and he's a new shiny brother and the offense is supposed to flow through him... While Randle is a little selfish and the ball stops in his hands which don't convert enough to justify the stoppage. I get it.

It was awesome though to see those two vibing on the floor. That fast break? That's Stockton/Malone stuff. As those two develop and get older and more experienced together, they're going to be electric out there. It's going to be awesome.

 

^^ Good insight, realdeal. Another thing I can't stand about Byron is his resistance to running pick and roll. It's just stupidity. When you have players of the caliber of Russell and Randle, you actually have the makings for a new Stockton and Malone, not just on the break but in the half court set!! And Roy is a good partner, too for pick and roll and pick and pop because he has a pretty darn good mid-range shot straight away. Bottom line - Byron isn't even coming close to using these guys correctly, IMO.

 

Well just tonight there was certainly a greater emphasis on pick and rolls AND on fast breaks. These guys were working their tails off. It looked so freaking much better than the idiotic circles they've been running in the Princeton.

 

Completely agree with randle+Russ/JC pick and roll but randle has to learn how to set screens. He sets some absolutely horrible screens.

But yes, we should definitely be running a whole lot more. We don't play to our strengths and thats due to the our ball and chain Boron.

 

He's so underrated it's hilarious. Not even league brass can sabotage this rebuild via the draft.

 

Don't tempt them. Basketball Reasons has a pretty WIDE definition.

 

The truly irritating and hypocritical thing about most of these pundits is that before and on draft day most of them weren't high on the Lakers picking Okafor. Almost to a person it was expressed that Okafor would be the safe pick but not the high ceiling pick that Russell could prove to be. Even after the draft most of those same pundits were lauding the Lakers for taking the riskier pick.

But, boy, they couldn't wait to pile on once the pre-season and season started. Luckily we've seen why the Lakers did pick DAR. He's developed much, much better in a much quicker time than I could have imagined. I was one of the worst critics of the FO's move on draft day, but now I'm very pleased. Meanwhile Okafor's off court issues have been very unsettling. We picked a good one.

 

Okafor is dead last in the entire league in RPM.

Edit: Mudiay is second to last. The once great Rose is sadly third to last.

 

Well, they did say his motor was suspect.