"D still loading": NBA fans mock D'Angelo Russell as reports emerge about his 'diminished' trade value
The NBA trade deadline is fast approaching, and it appears no one is interested in acquiring D'Angelo Russell. The trade deadline falls on February 8, 2024, which means that the LA Lakers have precisely a month from now to make final adjustments to their roster. Unfortunately for them, Russell might not be an enticing piece in potential deals they have to offer other teams.
Recent reports suggest that most teams in the league are currently not interested in trading for D'Angelo Russell. This has probably a lot to do with his inconsistencies on the court this season. While the Lakers found value in Russell last season after a successful playoff run and making a Western Conference Finals appearance, he hasn't exactly been the same guy for the team this year.
To make things worse, coach Darvin Ham sent Russell to the bench and made LeBron James LA's starting point guard instead. Fans are now making fun of "D-Lo" on social media. Here's what they had to say on X:
"D still loading"
"No ones surprised"
"Probably because he’s not good"
"Teams don’t want an undersized 2 guard who can’t defend? Shocker"
"I wouldn’t give 2 nickels for him"
"Fasho never seeing the Brooklyn DLo again so i understand"
"I mean can you blame anyone? He’s mid😭 "
"Why would anyone want him? 💀 "
Looking at D'Angelo Russell's season performance so far
D'Angelo Russell is the type of player who gets hot in one game and then becomes ice-cold in the next. While Russell has an undeniable knack for shooting the ball, he struggles to keep his offensive prowess consistent, resulting in the LA Lakers struggling to gain a winning record this season.
As of his last game back on December 31, 2023, Russell is averaging 14.8 points, 6.1 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game. While his numbers are practically the same as last season, his efficiency in scoring has diminished. The last time we saw "D-Lo" put up a stellar performance was on November 29, 2023, when he put up 35 points and nine assists against the Detroit Pistons.
Russell had a poor scoring month in December. He never reached 20 points, much less 30, in any game. His best performance was 17 points and eight assists on December 21, but the Lakers still lost to his old team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. His worst game was the one before that, when he scored only two points in 28 minutes against the Bulls.
Looking at the numbers, it's clear that D'Angelo Russell needs to keep his game consistent if he wants his value as a player to rise once again.