Lakers News: Latest on D'Angelo Russell and Mitch Kupchak Comments
If nothing else, the Los Angeles Lakers look like they will at least be fun to watch this upcoming season.
In a rare summer league matchup worthy of some actual hype, Lakers point guard D'Angelo Russell stole the spotlight from Brandon Ingram and the Philadelphia 76ers' Ben Simmons by hitting a game-winning three-pointer as time expired for a 70-69 Lakers win.
Russell was quick to point out it's not blood coursing through his veins after he made the game-winner, per the Lakers' official Twitter account:
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The second-year point guard finished with a game-high 22 points, four rebounds and five assists, but he did have six turnovers. Still, it was an overall encouraging display from Russell, who is key to the Lakers' rebuilding plans and seems determined to prove he's ready to take the next step in his evolution.
"I'm going back to summer league looking to dominate," Russell told the Orange County Register's Bill Oram prior to the start of this year's summer league.
Dominating the Las Vegas Summer League is one way to make sure you never have to play it in again, as veterans, superstars and elite-level prospects rarely play in what are basically organized scrimmages for developing players and clingers-on.
When reminded of the fact that fellow NBA sophomores such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis weren't playing, Russell noted he had to prove he didn't need the extra work.
“There’s a reason,” Russell said, per Oram. “They dominated and showed that they didn’t belong there. I guess I didn’t show it. So I guess I got to show it when I get that opportunity.”
Russell has been a little out of control at times in two Las Vegas games thus far, but the aggression and passion are there. It's tempting to read too much into summer league performances, but Russell's play is at least a welcome sight for Lakers fans and coaches, who need Russell to be a floor general and play in a way that makes up for his subpar athleticism.
As for the top two picks in this year's draft, Simmons did a better job of stuffing the box score than Ingram, though Simmons was sloppy with his seven turnovers. The 76ers first-round pick finished with eight points, 10 rebounds, eight assists (several of them quite pretty) and three steals. Ingram tallied seven points, four rebounds and one assist.
So the Lakers' young bucks are having a blast so far in summer league, but it's far too early for any bold projections for the upcoming season. The team is coming off a 17-win season, and the addition of veterans Timofey Mozgov, Luol Deng and Jose Calderon, while holding some promise, isn't going to magically lift this team from the Western Conference basement.
In the video below, Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding notes how the underwhelming free-agency haul could hurt the Lakers next summer:
As such, general manager Mitch Kupchak has avoided making any major proclamations about the upcoming season. Prior to the start of summer league, he noted he's not quite sure what he has in the youth contingent, per Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News: “I’m not quite sure what to expect. A lot has to be seen from our young players before determining how much they can help us. With the veterans, they’re going to need some help from the younger players. They need to give them energy and quickness.”
Kupchak presumably likes what he's seen so far, but again, there's only so information much to glean. It's also possible the Lakers aren't done making moves this offseason.
“We still have cap room,” Kupchak said, per Medina. “So there’s opportunities for us.”
The exploding salary cap and the quirks of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement led to Kupchak shelling out some serious cash for players well out of the top tier of 2016 free agents.
The length and size of Mozgov's contract (four years, $64 million) has been a major point of contention for the Lakers, but if he and the other veteran additions can help the Lakers make strides similar to what the New York Knicks made last season (from 17 wins in 2014-15 to 32 wins last year), it will be a necessary step toward bringing this franchise back to its former glory.
