One Russell for Another
In 2016, Kobe Bryant was asked which current NBA player most reminded him of himself. He answered Russell Westbrook. Today, it's another Russell who's shaping the present and future of the Lakers.
With 2:29 left in the 4th quarter on Wednesday night, LA Clippers guard Russell Westbrook dribbled the ball up the court to initiate the offense in a tight contest against their intra-city rivals. As he began his crossover attack to the basket, he stutter-stepped too quickly and lost his footing, leading to an Austin Reaves steal and an easy Anthony Davis fastbreak dunk. The Lakers would go on to win 130-125, finally snapping an 11-game losing streak to the Clippers.
Now 35, the former MVP Westbrook’s mind is writing checks that his body can't always cash. The first-ballot Hall of Famer still plays the game with a reckless abandonment emblematic of his entire career. His legendary motor, fearlessness and ferocity that once garnered the highest-of-all praises from Kobe Bryant still remain. But his 30.6% career 3-point shooting is doing him no favors at his advanced basketball age; his opponents frequently dare him to shoot from the perimeter, clogging up precious offensive real estate. The Lakers learned this lesson all too well over the year-and-a half that he donned the purple and gold. His carte blanche offensive mindset that terrorized opponents for 13 seasons clashed with the spacing needed for LeBron James to maximize his own offensive potential. Seldom could their respective ball-dominant styles mesh. Last season Coach Darvin Ham deemed it in the team’s best interest to bring Westbook off the bench for the first time in his career. James’s aspirations for a 6th championship had all but faded as the Lakers sat in 13th place in a highly competitive Western Conference.
A NEW DIRECTION
It couldn’t have been long before Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka realized he’d made a massive mistake. On draft day 2021 he shipped budding star (and draft steal) Kyle Kuzma with guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Washington Wizards for Westbrook and his “triple-double” factory. Having constructed the roster that propelled the team to their first title in a decade, Pelinka exchanged the depth and defensive toughness for the potential of Westbrook to alleviate the playmaking responsibilities from James. Considered title favorites by many Las Vegas oddsmakers, Los Angeles inexplicably missed the playoffs in 2022 and subsequently fired championship coach Frank Vogel. The following season proved more of the same with LA amassing an embarrassing 26-31 record before the trade deadline.
On February 8, 2023, James passed former Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in a humiliating 133-130 home loss to the paltry Oklahoma City Thunder. The next day Pelinka struck a deal to send Westbrook to the Utah Jazz for Malik Beasley and Jared Vanderbilt. The 3-way trade also involved the Minnesota Timberwolves, who agreed to give up their own starting point guard: D’Angelo Russell. One Russell for another.
REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD
Russell would now get his chance to re-write his Hollywood ending. After being drafted with the second overall pick by LAL in 2015 (who correctly passed on Jahlil Okafor), it was Russell who was expected to succeed retiring Kobe Bryant as the new Lakers star. After hitting the game-clinching 3-point shot in a 107-101 win against the Brooklyn Nets in early March, he pointed to his left arm declaring he had “Ice in my veins.” It would become his signature celebration. Lakers nation was captivated.
But when longtime GM Mitch Kupchak was fired in February 2017, Magic Johnson became the new president of basketball operations and promptly cancelled The D-Lo Show. Johnson traded Russell - the Lakers’ best player - to Brooklyn for the salary cap space that would eventually entice James to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the purple and gold. Russell led a young Nets team, culminating in 2019 with a #6 seed and playoff berth, while averaging 21 ppg. He signed with Golden State to play alongside his hero, Stephen Curry before being traded to Minnesota only 33 games into his Warriors tenure. After three underwhelming seasons with the ultra-young Timberwolves, management decided a more experienced lead guard would be preferred.
Five teams, countless coaches and a million hairstyles later, D’Angelo is back wearing the golden armor. And this time he fits seamlessly. He finds Anthony Davis for easy lobs. He looks for teammates before looking to shoot. He shot a career-best 41.6% from beyond the 3-point line on almost 7 attempts per game. He plays with a quiet confidence — resembling former teammate Curry’s demeanor more than Bryant’s villainous on-court character. He clicked immediately with James, a teammate whom he shares an elite-level passing ability. Armed with a correctly spaced and unselfish offense, Los Angeles finished last season 17-9, good enough for a #7 seed before falling to the champion Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals. Despite last season’s end, the Lakers look poised to make another deep playoff run this year. Don’t be surprised if you notice many Lakers pointing to their arms after hitting a big 3-pointer along the way.
THE WEEK AHEAD
11/6 at Miami
11/8 at Houston
11/10 at Phoenix
Prediction: 2-1 (W, W, L) Last Week: 1-3, Season: 1-3