(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers need to be at full strength as they head to the finish line.
They know they have the personnel to make a lot of noise in the Western Conference, but they still need to secure a spot in the playoffs first.
That’s why having D’Angelo Russell back on the court was so crucial for Darvin Ham’s team, especially considering he needs to get his rhythm back after missing a couple of games.
Russell has been outstanding since arriving in Southern California for the second time in his career.
He recently talked about how much he craved to be back on the floor and how he can make a positive impact on his team even if he’s not a primary scorer.
D’Angelo Russell addresses his hip injury, return, and what it’s like playing with the #Lakers on the floor. pic.twitter.com/WRm93xrbPQ
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) March 30, 2023
While his numbers haven’t always been impressive, he’s been a more natural fit as their lead guard than Russell Westbrook, who was more of a ball-dominant, score-first kind of guy.
Russell has developed some nice on-court rapport with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and Ham has done a solid job of hiding him on the defensive end of the floor.
He might never live up to the expectations that came with him when he first entered the league, but the Lakers don’t need him to be that guy anyways.
Russell has taken some ball-handling and shot-creating duties off LeBron’s hands, and he’s done a solid job of controlling the pace of the game when the Lakers need to slow the tempo down.
So, don’t sleep on this team now that they’re fully healthy.
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