D’Angelo Russell is probably well on his way to a Most Improved Player award this season, as he has helped lead his Brooklyn Nets to the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers — who traded him so as to make Byron Scott feel better about himself move Timofey Mozgov’s awful contract — are well on their way to being officially eliminated from postseason contention as soon as Friday night.
Luke Walton coached Russell a couple seasons ago and isn’t at all surprised by the leap the third-year point guard has taken this season (via Broderick Turner of the L.