D'Angelo Russell is preparing to be the next big thing in Los Angeles. Next season, the franchise will no longer have Kobe Bryant in the spotlight, and they will need a new face to elad them forward. That is expected to be Russell, but the point guard has no intentions of trying to be the next Bryant.
After a slow start to the year, Russell is finally looking like the real deal and the point guard the Lakers were hoping to get at the No. 2 spot. Since getting inserted as the starter, Russell is taking over games and showing leadership on the court. Comparisons are starting to pour in making the point guard out to be the next to fill Bryant's shoes. However, Russell is interested more in becoming his own star instead of taking Bryant's place.
"I don't want people to just think, 'He's got some Kobe-like [characteristics]," Russell said. "I don't want to go there. I want to be me-and people know it's me. I don't want: 'He's trying to act like Kobe' or 'His answers are like something Kobe would've said.' Nah. If it's me, I'm going to say it."
Russell is giving the Lakers a glimpse of what the franchise will be like without Bryant in the mix. Russell, along with Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle, are the next wave of the Lakers' franchise, and Byron Scott needs them to keep playing like it. Scott is pleased with what he has seen from the young players, but he wants the progress to continue. Scott will reportedly stress that most of the first and second-year players compete in summer league play in order to keep improving for next season. Russell likes the idea.
"I think it would be cool if we all had the same mentality and treat it like it's the season and not like we're just going to go out there and 'get ours,'" Russell said. "If we treat it like it's a game and we can learn each other's personalities and chemistry, I don't mind. We've got some noise to make."
Another player trying to cement himself into the Lakers' future is Larry Nance Jr. Scott will start the rookie forward over Nick Young for the remainder of the season to see how he plays with Russell, Randle and Clarkson. Nance has been dealing with injuries that have hindered his time on the court, but now that he is healthy, Scott is ready to give him playing time in order to test the forward's development.
"I don't know what those guys can do together," Scott said. "So some of that has to do with what they can do and what I want to see them try to do as opposed to what Nick can't do."
