With the second pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers had hoped that they drafted a player that could change the franchise. With Kobe Bryant’s career coming to a close, there was a lot of pressure on D’Angelo Russell to be the next franchise player for the Lakers.
Alongside Bryant, Russell’s rookie season was certainly a challenging one. Bryant would dominate the ball during the games he played, and it wasn’t an ideal situation for Russell to grow as a point guard.
Despite it being Kobe’s farewell tour, Russell was able to average 13.