He’s about midway through his first 82-game season, so let’s go ahead and give D’Angelo Russell the benefit of the doubt and just chalk this up to him hitting the proverbial rookie wall. That’s really the only explanation for the bizarre post-game interview he gave to reporters after the Lakers’ loss to the Houston Rockets Sunday night.

Someone in the scrum initially asked Russell about Kobe Bryant’s seven first-quarter assists and what it was like to be a part of that, to which he responded “I don’t think I was out there. I just watched it.” The only problem is that Russell, indeed, checked into the game with 5:40 remaining in the first and played the rest of the quarter. Granted, Kobe racked up four of those dimes while Russell was on the bench, but the next three came after the rookie point guard checked in. Russell, however, wasn’t the recipient of any of those assists, so perhaps this is his passive-aggressive way of complaining that Kobe doesn’t pass him the ball.

The rest is basically him delivering multiple, clueless “I don’t know” responses to various questions, along with momentary lapses of memory regarding who the Lakers played the previous night (and subsequently letting a curse word slip when he’s reminded), as well as what day of the week it currently is. It’s tempting to read too much into this, but he should probably just get some rest before whoever it is they have to play sometime later this week.

mreinman wrote:

crzymdups wrote:He seems checked out and miserable. The Lakers are a mess. I understand the impulse to do a Kobe farewell tour - but the way they are doing it is killing their young guys. They have the completely wrong coach for this, too.

byron coach is not just a bad coach but he seems like a very bad person

bad coach? absolutely.

crzymdups wrote:He seems checked out and miserable. The Lakers are a mess. I understand the impulse to do a Kobe farewell tour - but the way they are doing it is killing their young guys. They have the completely wrong coach for this, too.

Farewell tour? This is playing an overaged (once great) player more minutes than he deserves in order to get a high lotto pick and it is sick.
Since when did basketball become about that (outside of Philly's modification)?

earthmansurfer wrote:

crzymdups wrote:He seems checked out and miserable. The Lakers are a mess. I understand the impulse to do a Kobe farewell tour - but the way they are doing it is killing their young guys. They have the completely wrong coach for this, too.

Farewell tour? This is playing an overaged (once great) player more minutes than he deserves in order to get a high lotto pick and it is sick.
Since when did basketball become about that (outside of Philly's modification)?

I'm not a fan of tanking, but in this case it absolutely makes sense for the Lakers. If they don't land a top 3 pick, they lose their pick all together. Plus they are a bad team anyways- let the fans say goodbye to Kobe whilst getting a top pick- they're screwed without it.

Personally I wish the Sixers and Lakers would just work out a trade between themselves of Russell for OK4- do both players a favor.

smackeddog wrote:

earthmansurfer wrote:

crzymdups wrote:He seems checked out and miserable. The Lakers are a mess. I understand the impulse to do a Kobe farewell tour - but the way they are doing it is killing their young guys. They have the completely wrong coach for this, too.

Farewell tour? This is playing an overaged (once great) player more minutes than he deserves in order to get a high lotto pick and it is sick.
Since when did basketball become about that (outside of Philly's modification)?

I'm not a fan of tanking, but in this case it absolutely makes sense for the Lakers. If they don't land a top 3 pick, they lose their pick all together. Plus they are a bad team anyways- let the fans say goodbye to Kobe whilst getting a top pick- they're screwed without it.

Personally I wish the Sixers and Lakers would just work out a trade between themselves of Russell for OK4- do both players a favor.

I just think it is bad for the team (e.g. look at how it destroyed the chemistry on Phili, until D'Antoni came!), but sure, if they get Simmons, then all bets are off. But I will snicker if they get pick #4. We got to be careful about Instant Karma as that one Beetle said...

Interesting trade you suggest. (We have nothing to offer, KP is not going anywhere for anyone, not even Towns, tbh.)
Yeah, that works out for both teams and both players are limited defensively and gifted offensively. They probably can do it straight up even though Okafor is looking like the better player due to where they were picked.

I don't care how bad things are...19 year old rookies shouldn't sound like this unless someone just ran over your dog.

nyknickzingis wrote:Russell would be really good in the Triangle.

I think the Lakers should have picked Okafor. Okafor's a natural scoring bigman, and would have fit in great with their history. They develop their bigmen really well. Russell would have been great in Philly, especially with Mike D'Antoni there now.

For his attitude, I've never been a fan. From what I've seen he's the type of guy who has a few expectations and doesn't react well to not being handed things. You look at that interview, you clearly see the attitude factor I'm talking about.

He's going to be a heck of a player. His skills are very good. Byron Scott does make Fisher look like a very good coach. You look at the Lakers, man, they have no culture and no identity. Knicks aren't great, but they're in a better spot. Can you guys imagine Byron coaching the Knicks?

How do they develop big men well? The water? Coach's change so its not cultural?

We got back to Mikan? Wilt was traded for. Kareem was traded for. Shaq was a free agent. Divac's was a great pick and developed and Bynum yielded a chip or two in his era. Pau was a trade.

Lakers have a great history, but not developing big's.

How is Russell LIke Farrah? LIke a character she played?

Give the kid a break and not judge a 19 year old who might not be the brightest. Clearly burnt out and Scott is messing with him but he might still be a great player.
Got to look at the potential and OKA4 might have had some ceiling concerns.

I do agree with you and think you go big when ever it warrants. I love we got KP and had him over Russell because His size intrigued me, but Truth be told if OKA4 was there I think that was the pick to make.

Halfway thru the rookie season hardly makes a career.

She had a bad interview in the 1990's on Letterman and came off sounding bad. Could have been a bad mix of medicine.

Caseloads wrote:

mreinman wrote:

crzymdups wrote:He seems checked out and miserable. The Lakers are a mess. I understand the impulse to do a Kobe farewell tour - but the way they are doing it is killing their young guys. They have the completely wrong coach for this, too.

byron coach is not just a bad coach but he seems like a very bad person

bad person? stretch.

bad coach? absolutely.