The Los Angeles Lakers started strong under new head coach JJ Redick, but a loss to the lowly Pistons on Monday has fans second-guessing what is real, and what is not. Redick has cooked up some inventive offensive sets, but the Lakers’ defense is struggling and depth is a point of concern.
As expected, the weakest link in an otherwise solid starting five is D’Angelo Russell, who is averaging 12.0 points and 6.1 assists on .382/.302/.933 splits. Those shooting numbers will perk back up eventually, but Russell is a disengaged defender whose tendency to run hot or cold has doomed Los Angeles countless times in the past.
It’s beyond time for Los Angeles to dump his expiring $18.7 million contract. That is a valuable salary chip in trades and the Lakers, for all the hype around Redick and this new offense, desperately need to add more bankable talent around Anthony Davis and LeBron James. We are starting to see the warts of this roster and Russell presents the clearest path to a significant upgrade…