Undoubtedly, the Lakers are in a delicate situation. They would not want to make any more mistakes in the remaining ten games. After James was gone, Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell helped the team get back momentum. The team looked good but could not hold on to a winning streak. As a result, the Lakers had been lingering at the bottom half of the table for a long time. The team is in desperate need of a winning streak to help them climb higher. A couple of terrific performances of AD got the Lakers to the 9th place from the 11th.
D’Angelo Russell also came back with a bang after an ankle injury made him miss several games. However, the Lakers fell back to 11th place again. Time is running out, but there is no sign of the return of LeBron James. It is so easy to freak out for the players and the fans in the present situation. But Russell says the team is not looking at the table. Instead, concentrating on one game at a time. Looking at the situation, that might be the correct approach.
D’Angelo Russell Says They Have Clear Goals For The Rest Of The Season
Apparently, the teams in the Western Conference are so close to each other’s win-loss ratio that every game changes the positions on the table. Albeit the Lakers are the 11th seed, they still have a chance to make the top six and eventually the playoffs. For that, the rest of the regular season has to go well for the LA franchise. Statistically, there is a good chance the Lakers have to play the remainder of the season without LeBron James, even in the postseason, if they make it. This is because he may not appear in the lineup for the rest of the year.
D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Davis need to stay fit as the Lakers cannot afford any more injury concerns at the fag end of the regular season. Austin Reaves has been spectacular against the Magic in the previous game scoring a career-best 35 points. He is essential for the success of the team as well. According to Russell, the heartbreaking defeat to the Mavericks got the whole team stronger mentally and more determined to make no more mistakes. They are increasing their bench strength to help themselves get over the line. Hence, the team is getting ready for any possible outcome.
Which Players Would Lakers Like To Re-Sign After The Summer?
Now looking at the roster of the Lakers, a question arises. Who among the new recruits is going to be the first priority for being re-signed? D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and some more will be free agents at the end of the summer. As it looks, Russell may get the first priority as the Lakers may see a future with D’lo leading the team like LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been doing for the last three-four years.
The problem with Reaves and Hachimura is that they are restricted free agents. But D’Angelo Russell was praising Reaves after the game against the Magic. Russell said, “It is not surprising to see Reaves can do it. He has got a lot of potentials.” So who knows, maybe after the James-Davis era ends, a new era of Russell-Reaves will begin.
