D’Angelo Russell is coming into Los Angeles with some pretty major expectations this season. The No. 2 overall pick is expected to help make the Lakers more competitive right away, perhaps even bumping them into playoff contention with help from a healthy Kobe Bryant.
Russell, however, will need some time to adjust to the NBA game, particularly playing in a backcourt with one of the greatest two-guards of all time.
The good news for Lakers fans is that Russell appears to be on the right track. Now that we know Russell has a locker right next to Kobe, he has used that to obtain some valuable information about the future Hall-of-Famer.
D'Angelo Russell says he has gathered some important insight while talking to Kobe: "He told me he likes to shoot the ball."
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) September 28, 2015
Probably a pretty good jumping off point when it comes to Kobe.
Russell certainly proved he is a capable scorer in his one season at Ohio State, but his best asset as a lead guard will be his court vision and playmaking ability with his passes.
It’s easy to forget that Kobe hasn’t exactly played with a collection of stars at the point guard position. Recent starters have included the likes of Jeremy Lin, an old and often injured Steve Nash, and journeyman Steve Blake, so just having a player as talented as Russell is going to make Kobe’s life a lot easier.
With that being said, Russell will of course deal with his fair share of growing pains, but when the going gets tough, he can always remember to just pass to Kobe and get out of the way.
