Los Angeles Lakers Rumors: D’Angelo Russell Guarantees NBA Playoffs


Los Angeles Lakers rumors have D’Angelo Russell making a bold prediction. Russell says the Lakers will make the NBA Playoffs, commenting on how good he thinks the current roster looks. A report from CBS Sports shows the confidence that Russell already has, even though he hasn’t played a minute in the NBA yet.

Russell is echoing some statements that Kobe Bryant made earlier in the NBA offseason. Bryant has outwardly showed a lot of faith in the new roster that Lakers coach Byron Scott has to work with. It could also be his final season, which might be aided by a lot of young talent that the front office has signed.

“We have talented players in their respective positions. We have some really young players. How exactly will the pieces of the puzzle fit? We really don’t know. We are going to [training] camp trying to piece this together just like every other team does. We have to figure out what our strengths are, figure out what our weaknesses are. And every time we step on the court we are going to try to hide our weaknesses and step up to our strengths.”

Regarding the Los Angeles Lakers rumors that D’Angelo Russell has started, NBA analyst James Hebert has a difficult time seeing it from that perspective. Hebert doesn’t see the Lakers surpassing any of the teams that made the 2015 NBA Playoffs, suggesting the team won’t have enough talent to make the postseason. He even states that the Sacramento Kings might be better this coming season.

As for Russell, he isn’t backing down from his assertions. Maybe the lore of the Lakers’ history has done a number on him, and how could it not? This is one of the most successful franchises in the history of the NBA, so confidence almost comes with the territory. The young players on the roster now could follow Russell’s lead, though, especially with how bold his statements have been.

“Expectations are high, but this Lakers squad will most definitely be a playoff team.”

The good thing about D’Angelo Russell making this guarantee to fans is that it can take some of the heat away from a lot of other rumors that have persisted during the offseason. Of the Los Angeles Lakers rumors that must annoy fans the most, the front office considering a trade of Kobe Bryant has to be at the top of the list. This latest rumor is something fans can take hold of and run with as the NBA preseason starts getting underway.

[Image Source: Nick Laham/Getty Images]

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