Joining the Lakers with the reputation of being the second overall pick in the 2015 draft, Russell has been highly anticipated since he entered the NBA; Kobe Bryant He was about to retire and the team's future plans were in chaos. Not only was he unable to be nurtured properly, but he was also abandoned by the Lakers after hitting a wall in his second year. Magic Johnson, the team's president of basketball operations at the time, even said that he could not take on the role of leader.
Further reading: "Prelude to greatness" Kobe Bryant "#8" Top 5 peak moments of the regular season (until 2005-06 season)
Who could have imagined that after moving to Brooklyn, Russell would undergo a transformation. He not only got rid of the negative impression of the "candid camera" in the past, but also officially became the Nets' immovable ace in the second season, repeatedly leading the young team to stage counterattacks. , the "Ice In My Veins" gesture after a cold-blooded hit has become a signature move. In his two years with the Nets, he grew into an All-Star and even tasted the playoffs for the first time.
At the end of his career, D'Angelo Russell signed a max-salary contract worth over 100 million. However, his challenge was not over yet. At the end of the season, he transferred to a team and returned to the West Coast, joining a declining powerhouse that focused on running, passing, and shooting. State Warriors, can he adapt to a new role, play more peak moments, and lead the Warriors back to glory? The following are D'Lo's career classic battles:
1. Jade under the snake scales
- season：2015-16 (first season of career)
- result:Nets 101-107 Lakers
- data:39 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, FG 67% (14-21), 3P 67% (8-12)
Before the game, my dad (Antonio Russell) sent me a text message: "Are you hungry?" I replied: "Hungry?" He replied: "Then eat happily!" I suddenly understood what he meant, So I have to thank him for the motivation.
D'Angelo Russell
The year D'Angelo Russell entered the league, he happened to meet Kobe Bryant The retirement tour is also the end of Byron Scott's "destructive coaching". He never got a clear position on the team, and was ranked behind Jordan Clarkson,Lou Williams After that, there were many ball-dominant teammates such as Nick Young. Over the past year, he also switched from starter to substitute, and then back to starter.
Further reading: Underground GOAT: Lou Williams’ Top 8 Peak Moments of the Regular Season
Even so, Russell still posted 13.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals in his rookie year. He also took advantage of the opportunity when Kobe missed the game due to a shoulder injury and scored 39 points on 8 three-pointers. The rookie who scored the most points in the regular season in Lakers history since Elgin Baylor (55). Interestingly, the opponent in this game was the Nets where he later proved himself.
Not to mention Russell scored 16 points in the fourth quarter. In the last 30 seconds of the game, when the Nets were chasing 97-100, Russell decisively shot through the opponent's heart directly from the top of the arc, ensuring the Lakers' victory. After hitting Guan Jian, he pointed to his arm and said: "Ice In My Veins" ("My blood is cold"), already looking like a future star.
2. The struggle before breaking out of the cocoon
- season：2016-17 (second season of career)
- result:Cavaliers 125-120 Lakers
- data:40 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, FG 63.6% (14-22)
The second year in the Lakers was not so easy for Russell. Due to the exposure of the "candid photo incident" between him and Nick Young at the end of the rookie year, the Lakers' lounge was not peaceful. Russell's trust as a teammate was also put into question. Although the Lakers have changed their head coach and have a completely new lineup, Russell's progress has been very limited.
However, in the last few games wearing the purple and gold jersey, Russell still showed his hidden talent, facing Cavaliers led by LeBron James, he once again scored 7 three-pointers, with a hit rate of 60%, a new career high, and competed with the opponent until the last minute; it was a pity that D'Lo succeeded and lost, and in the end he missed two free throws. It also ruined the Lakers' chance to win.
Further reading: The little emperor is just starting out! Top 5 playoff peaks/clinching moments during LeBron James’ Cavaliers era (2005-10)
3. Extremely pure score reaches a new high
- season：2018-19 (fourth season of career)
- result:Nets 117-115 Magic
- data:40 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, FG 64% (16-25)
After the second year of his career, Russell was packaged and traded by the Lakers to the Nets in exchange for Brook Lopez; this also announced that Russell would become the main force of the team that landed in New York. In the first season, D'Lo only played 48 games due to injury; in the second season, he broke out completely. After the start of the season, he gradually warmed up and became the team's first firepower, replacing the injured Caris LeVert.
From the beginning of December to the end of January of the following year, the Nets had an almost crazy 20 wins in 25 games, not only squeezing into the playoffs, but also sending Russell to the All-Star Game; during this period, D'Lo He is worthy of his title as an All-Star. He produced a beautiful record of 21.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 7.1 assists, among which there are many classic games worth writing about:
For example, when facing the Orlando Magic, the Nets were once behind by 21 points, but in the end they relied on Russell and Dinwiddie to catch up and stage a great comeback in the fourth quarter; Russell made 8 of 12 three-pointers with a super high shooting percentage. Scored 40 points; what is special is that he did not have any free throw opportunities, becoming the third active player (the first two are Klay Thompson,Paul George ) A man who scores 40+ points without relying on free throws.
4. Epic late counterattack
- season：2018-19 (fourth season of career)
- result:Nets 123-121 Kings
- data:44 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists, 4 steals, FG 54.5% (17-33)
"Man, he's in full swing. You've watched him play all year, and when he starts playing crazy, there's not a lot of people in the league who can stop him."
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, then Nets teammate
After a wave of season climax, D'Lo's magical performance is not over yet. He later had a 40-point game (Against the Hornets on February 23), and even came to look at him before the end of the regular season, in order to lead the Nets into the playoffs.
At the end of March, they faced the Western Conference dark horse Kings, who were also eager to win. The Nets trailed by 8 points after the first half. They fell into a big crisis in the second half and entered the fourth quarter with a 25-point deficit.
Just when the game seemed to have become garbage time, the Nets did not give up. Russell was like a god in the fourth quarter. He made 10 of 15 shots in a single quarter and 4 of 7 three-pointers. He scored 27 points and finally completed a shocking comeback. !
D'Angelo Russell also became the first player in the history of the Nets in the past 11 years to score more than 40 points and 10 assists. In this campaign, he also broke the team's single-season record for three-pointers and led the team to a comeback victory. No wonder he got emotional and shouted after the game: "I was born for this moment!"
5. Shoot down the tsunami alone
- season：2019-20 (fifth season of career)
- result:Warriors 119-125 Timberwolves
- data:52 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, FG 51.4% (19-37)
After signing a four-year, $117 million max-salary contract, he left the Nets, which made him famous. Russell came to the Golden State Warriors, which had almost dominated the league for the past five years, and made everyone think he was temporarily replacing Klay Thompson. It even formed the fantasy of "Three Wave Brothers".
However, the Warriors' dynasty seems to have really collapsed: Kevin Durant leaves,Klay Thompson Recuperating, Draymond Green is severely degraded, and Stephen Curry Russell also suffered a broken wrist at the beginning of the season. Russell, who played with the injury and was still getting used to it, had to immediately assume the role of the team's ace before he had time to adapt.
Facing the even stronger Gray Wolves, Russell almost single-handedly dealt with the Northern Army. He scored 14 points in the third and fourth quarters and another 7 points in the overtime, taking home a career-high 52 points. point! Helplessly, the two young Timberwolves scored 60 points together, and the Timberwolves finally walked away, leaving regrets for Russell's record night of 3.0.
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