National Basketball Association

Los Angeles Lakers: Is D'Angelo Russell Better Than We Thought?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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After a stellar stint at the Las Vegas Summer League and two dazzling performances against the Denver Nuggets this preseason, have we all been drastically underestimating D’Angelo Russell all along?

For a team that many looking in from the outside have categorized as being without an heir apparent star to the all-time great that was Kobe Bryant, fans around the league are quickly learning what Los Angeles Lakers fans already knew.

D’Angelo Russell is that guy.

Yes, the sophomore point guard has already erased the embarrassing drama of yesteryear that plagued him both on the court (relegated to the bench for 20 games and sometimes being pulled in crunch time by hard knocks head coach Byron Scott) and off (need I reference the Nick Young scandal for the millionth time?). He’s even answered those lingering questions about whether or not he is mature enough from a playing and personality standpoint to be the leader of this team.

All it took was some spectacular play on his part — and boy, did he deliver on that end.

Empowered by the unyielding trust of new head coach Luke Walton, Russell came into the Las Vegas Summer League determined to brush off a lackluster rookie season and show the world that he could make good on the star potential many saw in him prior to the 2015 NBA Draft. Right off, he asserted himself as the leader of that Lakers’ unit and its go-to offensive weapon, putting up an outstanding stat line of 21.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game in four contests.

In addition to dominating on offense and establishing a leadership role, D-Loading helped cement his reputation as a clutch player with a shot that had fans buzzing about him all Summer ’16.

Even after such phenomenal play in Vegas, it still seemed as though Russell wasn’t getting nearly as much recognition as some of his sophomore counterparts, notably Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker and Kristaps Porzingis. Fans acknowledged his talent, but in a way that still placed him a tier below the aforementioned players.

Part of the downplaying of his performance was attributed to the fact that Summer League isn’t exactly renown for the defensive intensity and that Russell was putting up these numbers on teams composed of players who might not even make an NBA roster.

Well, here we are in preseason and we’re seeing more of the same from D-Loading.

After a lackluster preseason debut in just 25 minutes of play against the Sacramento Kings, Russell has emerged as the undisputed leader of the new-look Lakers in the last two games against the Denver Nuggets.

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The young point guard torched the Nuggets with 21 points, five assists and four rebounds in 24 minutes in a four-point loss before putting up an even stronger performance in the second outing with 33 points, three assists and three steals in a 124-115 win.

After struggling to find his footing in the fast-paced professional game last season, Russell looks incredibly at ease and in control of his pace. Needless to say, it’s led to extremely positive results for him and the team.

If Russell can continue to dominate opponents with his size, craftiness and ever-improving shot, he could emerge as one of the best scoring point guards in the league as soon as this season. On raw talent alone, he’s shown enough to validate those believed he had one of the better chances to be a superstar in his draft class and deserves to be mentioned in the same breath with his elite peers. With performances like these, it’s hard to believe he won’t go a long way in proving that this season.

At the very least, what he’s done this offseason is silence doubts about his ability to lead and whether or not he can be the star the Lakers need to lead them into the post-Kobe Bryant era.

With D-Loading at the helm for the foreseeable future, it’s a bright one for him and the Lakers.

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