D’Angelo Russell Signing Autographs As The Heat Has Been Turned On (Photo)

Here is an original photo of Los Angeles Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell signing autographs. The shot is provided by Lance Martinez from My Detroit Sports.

The second-year Ohio St. alum is now very much on the hot seat, in light of the recent hiring of Lakers icon Magic Johnson, as the team’s president of basketball operations. It is being reported that Magic, the man widely considered to be the greatest point guard in NBA history, is extremely serious about determining if Russell is the player capable of leading a Lakers renaissance.

Even though LA is tied for the worst record in the Western Conference, for Russell, the final 21 games of the season are almost serving as an audition for next year and beyond, as a result of the change in management structure.

The 21-year-old Russell is posting a decent season, averaging 14.8 points, 4.8 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. The Louisville native missed 16 games in 2016-17, due to a series of knee and calf issues. Russell’s scoring and dimes have improved by 1.6 and 1.5 respectively, as compared to his rookie campaign.

Despite Russell’s up and down efforts, both on and off the court, the lefty continues to be very affable with fans. This link provides multiple glimpses of the young player mixing it up with the paying customer.