Sir Charles in Charge
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Los Angeles Lakers: D’Angelo Russell Proving The Lakers’ Future Is Bright

By Gabriel Gonzalez

Mar 1, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D Angelo Russell (1) handles the ball while Brooklyn Nets guard Shane Larkin (0) defends during the second quarter at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 1, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D Angelo Russell (1) handles the ball while Brooklyn Nets guard Shane Larkin (0) defends during the second quarter at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /
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D’Angelo Russell set the record for most points by a Los Angeles Lakers rookie since 1959 with 39 points in the teams 108-101 victory over the Brooklyn Nets

Watching the Los Angeles Lakers rebuild has been painful.

There was the plummet from grace following the championship in 2010. Of course, the Dwight Howard sage was there and some of the worst seasons in Laker history followed.

  • 2013-14: 27-55
  • 2014-15: 21-61

However, even with the playoffs out of the question since the fall, the bright spot is knowing that the team’s players under 21 are only going to get better.

That was on display Tuesday night as rookie D’Angelo Russell had a career high 39 points against the Brooklyn Nets.

Yes, 39 isn’t a reason to jump up and down when Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard are dropping north of 50, but the context is what’s most important.

With the mark, Russell has the most points by a rookie since the team relocated to Los Angeles. The only Laker with more was the great Elgin Baylor with 41 and 55 back in 1959. Also, his 39 is the most by any rookie in the NBA this season.

He’s not too shabby from beyond the arc either, his eight made threes are also the most made by a Laker rookie in six years.

Keep in mind, Russell essentially carried the Lakers past Brooklyn by himself.

Jordan Clarkson was the second leading scorer with 16. Julius Randle and Roy Hibbert had 14 apiece.

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All of this was with the Black Mamba on the bench as Kobe Bryant sat out the game with a sore shoulder. While every Laker game is marked by the pageantry of the farewell to No. 24, the fact remains that the rest of the squad must still prepare for a future without him in seven months time.

Russell’s performance is reassuring for the franchise regardless of which direction they choose to go. While Kevin Durant may not be in the cards this summer, the dream of adding Ben Simmons and his value is one that is very much alive.

As has been discussed here on Sir Charles already, the addition of another highly touted guard could pose the problem of how to evenly distribute the work among Russell, Clarkson, and Simmons. But, that is a great problem for the Lakers to have. Whether one is regulated to the bench, or a piece is traded to address other issues in the lineup, having the rookies perform well only give the team more leverage on the free agent market.

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When considering that Julius Randle is growing into his own as well, the Lakers have the opportunity to build a solid young squad moving forward.

The Los Angeles Lakers rebuild was never going to be easy. But it looks like there may finally be a good foundation in place.

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