D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves became very central to the Los Angeles Lakers team during the mid-season. They helped Anthony Davis to lead the Lakers to a miraculous turnaround. At one point, it seemed the Lakers would not make the postseason, but then things changed after mid-season trades. Even though Anthony Davis was the leader of the core group, the young guns played crucial roles in the team’s cause. D’Angelo Russell returned to the Lakers since he last played for the team in 2017.
But soon, he became an integral part of the LA side in their regular season. Recently, in an interview with Patrick Beverley, former Laker, on his podcast show, Russell expressed his grief about the fan’s reaction towards him. Pat Beverley mentioned that D’Angelo Russell had one of his best shooting years in 2022-23. In reply, D’Lo asked Beverley to tell it to the fans. As no fans are talking about how good Russell’s shooting was back in the regular season. However, in that same podcast appearance, D’Lo Russell talked highly of Austin Reaves.
D’Angelo Russell Says Fans Discredit Austin Reaves For His Skin Color
According to D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves has killer mental strength and abilities. But D’Lo raised the point that many fans discredit AR for his skin color. Moreover, D’Angelo Russell added that there are so many black superstars dominating the game, and here comes one white boy with an impressive mindset and skillset. On top of that, D’Angelo Russell mentioned that Reaves never lets his excitement take control of him. According to Russell, AR is like, “Yes, I can do that. I am built like that.”
"Killer. Killer. Oh my god [Austin Reaves] is a killer… He kind of always felt like 'yeah, I can do that. I'm built like that.'… They probably discredit him because of his skin color, but he got game."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 3, 2023
—D'Angelo Russell
(via @PatBevPod) pic.twitter.com/cgoMo5KuDl
D’Angelo Russell is echoing what the Laker’s front office perhaps is feeling. Hence, it makes sense why they re-signed Reaves for four years with a contract worth $56 million. After what Austin Reaves did last season, he deserved a better deal. But the Lakers had a cost cap issue. Moreover, they had AR as a restricted free agent, unlike D’Angelo Russell, who was an unrestricted free agent. Hence, the Lakers were ready to match any deal other teams would offer Austin Reaves.
Unlike Reaves D’Lo Russell Must Prove Himself In The Future Playoffs
Clearly, Austin Reaves blossomed into an emerging superstar of the Lakers. The 2022-23 season was only his second year in the league, but he shocked everybody with the speed he improved. Reaves has become the third most important player of the Lakers after LeBron James and Anthony Davis. On the other hand, D’Angelo Russell lost a little bit of value due to his poor performance in the playoffs, especially in the Western Conference Finals.
D’Lo was on the verge of moving onto another team until the Laker’s front office re-signed him for two years with a player option in his second year. But the fans have mixed feelings regarding D’Lo’s place on the roster. A few fans blame him for the Laker’s defeat at the hands of the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. Moreover, D’Lo’s shooting was not at par in the playoffs; that was a big blow to the Lakers.