The Los Angeles Lakers don’t need D’Angelo Russell to be the primary scorer.
They want him to be an off-the-ball player, a cutter, a facilitator, and someone who can draw some attention from the defense.
Still, he is likely to take everything offered to him in terms of scoring, and he has shown the potential to be an explosive and efficient scorer in this league.
Sadly, that hasn’t happened in this year’s playoffs, or in his playoff career for what it’s worth.
According to SportsCenter, Russell currently holds the second worst streak of shooting less than 50% from the field to start a playoff career with 13 games and counting.
D’Angelo Russell finished 2-11 from the field in Game 2 vs. the Grizzlies 😬 pic.twitter.com/b8xGxLQwg8
– SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 20, 2023
The only other player with a bad shooting streak to start a playoff career was DeMar DeRozan during his days with the Toronto Raptors.
DeRozan faced a lot of backlash and criticism for his post-season shortcomings, but he eventually figured things out and has risen to the spot where he is now regarded as one of the most agile players in the league.
Russell also earned himself a bit of a reputation for being a clutch master, with his signature ‘Ice in His Veins’ celebration going viral after hitting some big shots.
Then again, some players just aren’t made for the playoffs; We have seen this happen many times before.
Some of them gasp after a regular season, while others crumble under the pressure.
Hopefully Russell will soon end that streak and put this legend to rest.
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Fans react to what D’Angelo Russell said about role with Lakers