With Kobe Bryant hanging up his sneakers for good after 20 seasons, the remaining players of the Los Angeles Lakers are left to pick up the pieces left by The Black Mamba. One of the young guns expected to be a cornerstone for the storied franchise in years to come is last year's second-overall pick, D'Angelo Russell.
After a disappointing end to his rookie year where he lost his starting spot and saw himself in the middle of controversy involving Nick Young, the Ohio State product is looking to put it all in the past and play better this coming season.
However, during the Lakers' first preseason game on Tuesday night against the Sacramento Kings, he had a dismal performance of four points, two rebounds, three assists, and a team-high five turnovers in 25 minutes.
After the team's practice on Thursday afternoon, Russell was the first one to criticize his poor game and revealed what he needs to do moving forward.
D’Angelo Russell described his first preseason game as “average. "I didn’t have that pace. I didn’t have that pep in my step."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) October 6, 2016
With a new coach and a new system in place, the team needs to adjust quickly as the regular season kicks off in three weeks. It certainly plays to their advantage that they still have a handful of exhibition games remaining, which can be used to run plays and look for the best combination of players on the court.
Needless to say, a lot is expected from D'Angelo Russell as he will play an integral part for the Lakers if they want to be more successful this year.
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