D’Angelo Russell sustained an ankle sprain in the opening quarter of the Lakers’ home game against the Warriors on Thursday, causing him to be ruled out of the contest. X-rays were later reported by TNT’s Chris Haynes to be negative and no MRI was necessary to further evaluate the injury.
The 2015 No. 2 overall draft pick by the Lakers, Russell has averaged 17.9 points and 6.2 assists, while shooting 39% from 3-point range this season. The Lakers jolted their roster ahead of the trade deadline to provide help to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis; D’Angelo Russell was a part of that move.
As of Thursday, the Lakers were situated in 13th place in the Western Conference, three games behind 10th place, the slot needed to qualify for the Play-In Tournament.
D’Angelo Russell is one of the most promising young stars in the NBA. After being traded by the Lakers to the Brooklyn Nets in 2017, he returned to Los Angeles as a free agent in 2019 and signed a four-year contract with the team. He has since become one of their key players and will be an integral part of their plans for 2023. With his skill set, leadership qualities, and experience, D’Angelo Russell is poised to make an impact on the Lakers’ success in 2023 and beyond.