The Los Angeles Lakers and the fans were excited to see rookie point guard D'Angelo Russell play for the team after getting drafted no. 2 overall this year but when he did in the Summer League, it was not all good for the former Ohio State Buckeye.
Russell was the Lakers' starting point guard during their stint in the Summer League and he did produce good numbers averaging 11.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 steal per outing in five games played.
Unfortunately the fine sight in the stat sheet for Russell ends there as he averaged 5.2 turnovers per game which is a bit suprising for a ball handler who averaged only 2.9 turnovers in his lone collegiate year in Ohio State.
But there are certain factors that may explain his turnover average, one is because Russell is only a rookie and is still adjusting to the new level of competition which is the NBA.
The other is he only had a limited time to build chemistry with his Lakers teammates during the Summer League.
In a report by Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe, Russell discussed his turnovers and was preaching patience.
"It's just a matter of settling down. A lot of those turnovers are from risk-taking and it's successful sometimes, but at this level it's being able to settle down and be patient. It's about slowing down as a team, being patient," Russell said.
The expectations are high for Russell in the upcoming season as he is seen as the future of the rebuilding franchise together with another budding guard in Jordan Clarkson.
Indeed Russell will be pressured to deliver for a storied organization as he will also be playing alongside one of the greatest players in the game, Kobe Bryant.
But in the past Russell already said that he is willing to take on the challenge and do whatever he can to help the Lakers.
