Ever since being put back in the starting lineup, D’Angelo Russell has given the Los Angeles Lakers everything they could have asked for. His most recent performance might have been his best as he led the Lakers with 34 points and eight assists with no turnovers in a 24-point win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Russell also caught fire from 3-point range as he knocked down 6-of-11 from deep and is now shooting 47.6 percent in the month of January. Russell has also been known to pull up from deep in transition right as the Lakers are building momentum, oftentimes making the crowd go crazy when he hits a deep 3-pointer to cap off a run.
This isn’t by accident either as Russell feels that heat check 3-pointer, and his ability to score in bunches, is his NBA superpower.
“I’ve always been like that, recognizing my superpower,” Russell said after the game. “Everybody in the league has one, might be defense or motor, or whatever it may be, everybody has one.
“For me, ever since I was a young kid, I always found myself kind of getting hot throughout the game where I might score five or six points right away, maybe score 10 in a quarter or do something like that and score 10-12 points the last three minutes of a game. It’s just my superpower. When I feel that and get in that mode, I definitely know that I’m in that mode.”
Those shots can be debilitating for the opposition as it makes it feel like things are getting out of hand. But Russell also looks to make those plays for others as well, which was the case when he served up a bouncing alley-oop to LeBron James on another fast break opportunity, something the Lakers guard has been practicing.
“I was telling Mike [Trudell] that when you grow up, you kind of envision yourself doing the moves you practice and the moves you have fun with on the court,” Russell added. “That was just something I’ve practiced about 100 times and brought it out of the bag.”
While Russell’s name continues to be in trade rumors, he has been showing the world exactly what he can bring to the table. And this version of Russell is one who helps the Lakers immensely.
Finding a third team to take D’Angelo Russell is holding up Lakers-Hawks deal
Whether or not Russell is actually dealt is unclear, but conversations are being had and a recent one has centered on Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray.
Recent reports stated that the Lakers and Hawks have had extensive talks on a potential trade with Russell being the centerpiece from the Lakers’ side, but Atlanta is hoping to find a third team to be involved in the deal in order to take on Russell.
The failure to find that third team is reportedly holding up the trade, but talks could reignite once more as the trade deadline gets closer.
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