Many NBA players spend the summertime developing their games in preparation for the next season. Given the up-and-down season that he has had, this offseason will give Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell an opportunity to fine-tune his skills before the start of the 2017-2018 season.
If the Lakers hope to take a step towards the playoffs next season, Russell is going to have to be at his very best, which makes the coming summer a very important one for both him and the Lakers franchise.
Fortunately, Russell is already making workout plans even though the offseason isn’t here yet. According to Mark Medina of the Southern California News Group, he intends to work out with Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns:
Towns said he and Russell plan to work out together this summer.
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) March 30, 2017
While Russell and Towns obviously play very different positions and roles in the NBA, the two are good friends and were selected with the first two picks in the 2015 NBA draft. Additionally, it has to be noted that Russell is solid in the post for a guard, where he uses his 6’5″ frame and nearly 6’10” wingspan to shoot over the top of smaller defenders. That being the case, it certainly wouldn’t hurt for Russell to pick up a few post moves from Towns.
Russell hasn’t had nearly the amount of success that Towns has had in the NBA, but he has shown flashes of brilliance this season that could hint towards big things in the future. Towns, on the other hand, hit the ground running as a rookie and has only solidified his status as one of the best big men in the league during his second season.
For the Lakers, the ultimate dream would be to someday unite Towns and Russell in Los Angeles but given league rules that allow players to earn considerably more money if they stay with the team that drafted them, the chances seem slim of it actually happening.