Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

The return of D'Angelo Russell to Los Angeles might not move the needle on a national level like, say, Kevin Durant being traded to Phoenix.

But that doesn't mean it's not a super-intriguing hoops story. In his first go with the Lakers, an immature Russell was sent out to make room for a different point guard the franchise hoped would be the player to lead them back to glory in Lonzo Ball. It didn't happen. After leaving L.A., Russell thrived, making an All-Star team with the Nets and settling into that fringe All-Star space that can be extremely valuable for teams. But he's an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Could Russell, still only 26 years old, be someone the Lakers want to keep for a few years? Would they let him go again?

So much depends on that fit with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and how Russell performs over the next 23 games.

What kind of player did the Lakers re-acquire? Ben Beecken, Host of Locked On Wolves, has had a bird's eye view since Russell arrived in Minneapolis in 2019. He joins the show to break down what went well for Russell in Minnesota, what didn't, and why. Has D'Angelo matured as a player and a person? What kind of skill set does he bring, and how well should it fit with LeBron and A.D.? Has he ironed out any of the inconsistency that was a big feature of his seasons in purple and gold?

And as a bonus, we get more scouting on Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt, who Beecken covered while they played for the Wolves ahead of the offseason deal that shipped Rudy Gobert out of Utah. How can those two be deployed in ways that maximize strengths while hiding weaknesses?

More insight into players that could be critical for the Lakers not just this season, but for a few down the road.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky, with guest Ben Beecken!

SEGMENT 1: D'Angelo Russell is back in LA. What worked for him in Minnesota? What went wrong?

SEGMENT 2: How does Russell fit with LeBron and Davis? What are the best ways to use Beasley and Vanderbilt?

SEGMENT 3: Reaction. What does the addition of these three do for the Lakers' floor, game to game, and why is that so important?

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