Despite his flaws, D’Angelo Russell was embraced by Los Angeles Lakers fans when the team traded for him during the 2023 trade deadline. Russell was the headline return in the trade that sent Russell Westbrook packing, making it extremely easy for fans to support him.
Russell’s second tenure with the Lakers started off well. He played well enough in the playoffs and had a huge game against the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the NBA Playoffs to help LA win that series.
That being said, the playoffs produced more head-scratching moments than good ones.