D'Angelo Russell's Confident Message After Lakers Beat Raptors: "They're Lucky I Sprained My Ankle..."

D'Angelo Russell had a warning for the rest of the league.

Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Guard D'Angelo Russell was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of this year's trade deadline, and many were excited about his addition. The point guard is clearly one of the better starting point guards in the league, and his elite offensive talent was on display against the Toronto Raptors, with him getting 28 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists in the Lakers' recent win.

After the game, D'Angelo Russell had a confident message for everyone, stating that everyone is "lucky" he sustained an ankle injury. He also noted that he's ready to "embrace" the pressure that comes with playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.

"They're lucky I sprained my ankle," said Russell. "Simple as that. I was ready to go crazy. Ready to have fun with this. Embrace the challenge and opportunity, all the pressure... everybody stepped up."

The pressure of playing for the Los Angeles Lakers is definitely a familiar feeling for D'Angelo Russell, as he has already had one stint with the franchise. It seems as though the point guard is ready for the challenges ahead though, and he showed that he can play at a high level for the team during this past game.

D'Angelo Russell is averaging 16.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 5.8 APG during his second stint with the Los Angeles Lakers, while being highly efficient, shooting 48.3% from the field and 44.0% from the 3PT range. His skill set suggests that he will be a good No. 3 option behind Anthony Davis and LeBron James when the Lakers are fully healthy, and hopefully he can continue to play at a high level.

---

Darvin Ham Has Already Praised D'Angelo Russell

D'Angelo Russell has already impressed many within the Los Angeles Lakers fanbase, and it seems as though coach Darvin Ham has taken note of his elite play as well, claiming that he's a piece the team is "truly excited about".

"I just think his size, his skillset, his brain," Ham said. "I just think he’s a really talented smart basketball player and you have to account for him. He’s a smart defensive player as well. He’s this another added piece that we’re truly, truly excited about, that people got a taste of what he brings early. And him coming out of this injury is great timing with LeBron’s circumstances so we’re really looking forward to that addition and we expect him to be a bit of a spark plug for us."

There's no doubt that D'Angelo Russell could potentially be an x-factor for the Los Angeles Lakers when it comes to the playoffs. He will also be key to the team actually getting to the playoffs, and they'll need him to step up and be the No. 2 option behind Anthony Davis in the coming weeks.

We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.

Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.