A trio of Lakers will face their former team on Tuesday
[ad_1]
It is axiomatic in the NBA that when a player goes up against his former team, especially in postseason play, he is more motivated than usual and tends to have a very good game.
Of course, some players, when faced with that situation, see it as just another game — or at least that’s what they will say publicly.
When the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the play-in tournament on Tuesday, three of their players will be facing their former team — D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt, all of whom arrived in February’s blockbuster Russell Westbrook trade.
They each seem to be adopting a slightly different attitude about the upcoming contest.
Russell doesn’t seem to care
Russell was arguably the biggest chip that Los Angeles got back in the Westbrook trade. He has played very well since, averaging 17.4 points and 6.1 assists per game while shooting 48.4 percent overall and 41.4 percent from 3-point range in 17 contests with the Purple and Gold.
In fact, he has been one of the most efficient guards in the entire league this season, especially since joining the Lakers.
He is a much more mature player than he was during his first stint in L.A. during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, and it shows in his response when asked what it means to face the team he spent the first part of this season with on Tuesday.
“I mean, not the fact that they traded me has anything to do with it, but the fact that they’re in the way of what we’re trying to get done,” Russell said. “I mean, that’s all that really matters to me honestly. Trying to prepare mentally now for that because obviously, it’s a big game and it matters. It dictates a lot. So just trying to get that win by any means.”
In contrast to Westbrook, who is still a good player but a flawed and frantic one, Russell has brought a sense of control and smoothness to the Lakers, although he is still very effective in transition.
A look at some advanced stats shows the immense…
[ad_2]
