Benched Austin Reaves Gives Chance for Redemption to Other Ex-NBA All-Star, Claims Lakers Legend

The Los Angeles Lakers are not looking great so far this season. They are holding a record of 11 wins and 8 losses and currently rank 7th in the table. Due to that, the coach figured that the squad might need some modifications. So their modification involved benching their rising star, Austin Reaves. However, due to that, a former NBA All-Star got an opportunity to prove himself.

A former NBA player, Lou Williams spoke about the All-Stars’ spectacular performance and even gave his opinion of whether this player should be considered as the third guy for the Lakers.

The former NBA all-star got to prove his worth

Former NBA player Lou Williams recently starred on FanDuel TV. There they spoke about D’Angelo Russell and asked Williams whether he could be the third guy for the Lakers. To which Williams said, “I feel like he’s always been. Now that Austin Reaves has gone to the bench he has established himself as he is going to be the third-best player on his team or the third-best scorer.” 

He further stated, “The only thing I would like to see from D’Lo is consistency. Absolutely being that guy, taking care of the basketball, not taking many chances with trying to make plays, and be efficient on the offensive end. He’s still averaging 17.5 points, 6.5 assists for this basketball team. 35 was a great night, wouldn’t expect that from him very often. But if he can give you that 17 and 6 every night with LeBron and AD laying team, you’ve got a good third piece.”

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Russell showed off his true potential during the match against the Pistons. The Lakers dominated the scoresheet, 133-107 in which Russell scored 35 points, made 9 assists, and managed to achieve 4 rebounds. With this amazing display of his skillset, he managed to show his athleticism on both sides of the court. However, he even managed to reach the level of Kobe Bryant through this performance.

How did D’Lo manage to draw comparisons to the Mamba?

The effect of the Lakers guard extended beyond the box score, as he completed the game with a plus-31, demonstrating his influence on both sides of the floor. This outstanding performance prompted parallels to Lakers great Kobe Bryant, as Russell became the only Lakers guard since Kobe to score 35 points on 75% shooting. D’Lo even acknowledged the fact that this was the first time this season where he feels he found his rhythm.

The Lakers, who are battling for a title, are hoping to see such outstanding performances from Russell, realizing that his improved play has considerably boosted the team’s hopes this season. As Russell finds his rhythm, the Lakers will be able to take advantage of his offensive and playmaking ability.

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