NBA: D'Angelo Russell Vindicates Self, Shows Former Lakers Mentor True Potential

When he entered the league back in 2015, not too many gave D'Angelo Russell much attention. There were murmurs back then that he would be the next Chris Paul, a reason why the Los Angeles Lakers pick him up with the second overall pick during the NBA Draft that year.

Russell never really got going with the purple and gold. He showed glimpses of brilliance but struggled to fit into the system by then-coach Byron Scott. Being a former Laker star, most knew that Russell could potentially become the next big star guard for the purple and gold. It never happened.

Russell's relationship with Scott was far from sweet. DLO was vocal about his feelings and there was obvious tension between him and the 58-year-old coach. The former All-American even had an instance where he avoided shaking Scott's hand each time he went back to the bench, The Athletic reported.

“So I didn’t have to shake the coach’s hands,” Russell recalled. “I’d do little [s—] like that.”

Being a rookie at the time, critics felt that Russell was a head case. All that changed when he got traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2017, a move that would turn out to be his big break. The 6-foot-4 came into his own, showing his true potential. That earned him his first NBA All-Star appearance, something that would boost his stock and case as one of the NBA's new rising stars.

Scott was let go in 2016. He wrapped up his Lakers coaching stint at 38-126 - the worst by any LA coach at the helm for at least two seasons. Could things have ended up differently if Russell was given better guidance? There are some who feel that the Lakers gave up too early on DLO.

Right now, Russell finds himself with another struggling squad in the Golden State Warriors. He has been frequently mentioned in NBA trade talk. However, it appears that the Dubs are hanging on to him for now. As mentioned in a previous post, he is likely to remain a Warrior even after the NBA trade deadline. The case could be different by the summer, especially if Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry are back and healthy once more.