Entering his second year in the NBA, Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell is looking to improve off what was a disastrous rookie campaign. The former No. 2 overall pick averaged 13.2 points per game while shooting just 41 percent from the field.
He also received somewhat inconsistent playing time under then head coach Byron Scott.
Now entering his sophomore season under first-year head man Luke Walton, Russell seems a bit more upbeat about his prospects. Though, that didn’t come without looking back at the Scott era like a child remembers a nightmare.
“Last offseason was Looney Tunes,” Russell said earlier this week, via the Los Angeles Times. “Wasn’t real. I didn’t get nothing out of it.”
An argument could be made the Lakers felt the same way. They drafted Russell to play an important role in an improved on-court product. He struggled big time, and the team finished with its worst record since moving to Southern California from Minnesota.
Russell did make sure to note how excited he is to be playing under Walton, who came to the Lakers after two extremely successful seasons as the Golden State Warriors’ top assistant.
“I feel like if I came into the league this year, in this environment, it wouldn’t have been as tough,” Russell said. “Even if Kobe was here, it still wouldn’t have been as tough.”
That sure does seem to be a knock on the culture under Scott. A culture that likely has changed with Walton’s winning pedigree now manning the bench.
For the Lakers, it’s going to be all about progressing on the court. That will start with the team’s young point guard. Should he not improve, all the shade being thrown Scott’s way will surely be taken with a grain of salt.
Then again, there’s definitely a chance this season could also be a bit “looney” for Russell and the Lakers. After all, last time we checked, Nick Young was still on the roster.