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It seems as if the Los Angeles Lakers are finally going to give D’Angelo Russell the chance to prove himself. Russell has had an up and down rookie season, and part of the blame can fall on inconsistent minutes. It is time for the coaching staff to put more trust in their young point guard, and see what he can do in leading the starters. It is important that they give him as much time as possible to finish the season.
Bringing Russell off the bench certainly had some advantages, as he wasn’t seeing enough time on the ball early in the year. Russell is at his best with the ball in his hands, and his future in the league is as a playmaking guard. He has excellent vision and passing ability, and is the type of player who can make his teammates better. Playing with the second unit allowed him to lead the offense and adjust to the speed of the game.
There were also plenty of disadvantages as well, as the mixed messages being sent by the coaching staff could easily have hurt the development of a young player. Russell needs more experience playing against the top guards in the league, and he also has to learn how to fit in on offense. He needed to learn how to adjust his game, as well as the effort it takes to be successful on defense.
The Lakers still have a lot more games to play, and they need to make sure that they make every minute count. They have an extremely young core, and these younger players need to get as much time on the court as possible. They are the future of the organization, and their development will determine whether the Lakers have success in the next couple of seasons. Russell might be the most important out of this group, as he still has the potential to be a star in the league.
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