With the return of Vanderbilt, Reddish and others, the mid-season tournament to the finals, and the regular season to win three straight and move up to No. 4 in the West, the Lakers have had their toughest time at the beginning of the season. Now, the Lakers have ushered in a wave of sweet times, and the team has successively defeated strong teams in the playoffs and even at the championship level, winning key victories in a row, proving their strength. And they also have the opportunity to win the inaugural mid-season tournament in Las Vegas, with a prize of 500,000 per player, which is not a small amount for any player. 37 million in 2 years, re-signing the Lakers, being put on the trade shelf, there are not many opportunities left for you.
The Lakers can be said to be one of the most comfortable teams in this period, after they have experienced a wave of injuries, now the depth of the roster is back, and the forward defense is back, James has also rejuvenated the second spring, often playing efficient, top performances, and the Lakers' record has also improved by leaps and bounds, all the way from the Western Conference play-off range, to the current fourth position. James, thick eyebrows, Reaves, Prince, Reddish, Vanderbilt and others within the team have received a lot of praise for their excellent and consistent performances, and the Lakers seem to be back on track. However, Lakers starting guard Russell is not so happy, not only is his situation not as smooth as that of the Lakers, but he is even facing a situation where he may be traded in the future.
Against the Pelicans, there was a very impressive picture, the garbage time in the final quarter, James, Hachimura, Prince, and even Vincent, who was in the stage of recuperation, they all stood on the sidelines, because of some of the team's play on the court, and James's funny frolicking on the sidelines, they looked happy. Russell, however, covered his head, looked serious, and didn't say a word. Of course, no one knows what Russell is thinking at this time, he has been the most active one in the Lakers atmosphere group in the past, and this time in the face of the opportunity to hit the 500,000 prize money and win the mid-season championship, Russell is not so excited, which is naturally related to his current situation. Russell's future is up in the balance.
Why?When Russell re-signed a two-year, $37 million contract with the Lakers in the offseason, almost everyone agreed that the Lakers would use Russell as the core chip to improve the roster at the trade deadline. The reason is very simple, Russell's performance in the playoffs is subpar, he averages only 6 points per game in the Western finals, has few assists, offensive efficiency is even more stretched, and there is nothing commendable about defense, and it is precisely because of his poor performance that he has gone from a star with an annual salary of more than $30 million to a "high-quality role player" with a salary of less than $18 million.
No one doubts Russell's ability to play in the regular season, let alone Russell's quality, but from the Lakers' point of view, what they want is a guard who can lead the team forward in tough battles and at least be trustworthy by the team. The Lakers trust Reaves more than Russell, who is the player who has proven himself to have a big heart many times. Although Reaves was put on the bench, the Lakers reached the closing stage, and it was often Reaves who stood on the court, not Russell. Although Russell was kept in the starting lineup after the backcourt combination of Russell and Reaves had defensive problems, the Lakers were seen by more people to appease Russell while keeping his trade value assured.
Not playing well in the playoffs is something Russell can't handle in his entire career. And this reformed mid-season tournament is, to some extent, a "midterm exam" for Russell. After entering the knockout stage, as a comparison, Reaves became the savior of the Lakers when he defeated the Suns, scoring 20 points personally, standing up and scoring consecutive points when the Lakers were at their toughest, and threw in three points that almost helped the Lakers win. Russell scored just eight points on 3-of-11 shooting, including 2-of-6 three-pointers. Against the Pelicans, although other players didn't play much, Reaves still had 17 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists, shooting 5 of 9 and 3 of 6 three-pointers, with good efficiency.
What about Russell?6 of 10, 2 of 5 three-pointers, the efficiency is really good, and the personal score of 14 points is also decent, but when he was anxious, Russell made 3 mistakes in a row (in the end it was 4 mistakes), and the Pelicans frequently seized the opportunity to fight back, until the difference between the two sides was completely widened, Russell did not fall into an embarrassing situation, this victory, to put it mildly, has nothing to do with Russell. However, Russell still has a chance, the final, the intensity will definitely reach the level of the finals, and he is facing Bruce Brown, who humiliated him before, this group of matchups, if Russell can sweep away the haze, his future can still be pinched in his own hands, otherwise, it will be difficult for him to escape the fate of being traded.