Los Angeles Lakers Injury Rumors 2016: D'Angelo Russell Has Sprained Ankle
When the Los Angeles Lakers drafted D'Angelo Russell in the 2015 NBA Draft, the team's front office thought of him as a future franchise player who will eventually take over the team once Kobe Bryant retires. As a rookie this season, he has shown flashes of stardom on the court, even though the Lakers are having one of the worst seasons in their history.
So when a promising rookie like Russell goes down with an injury, everyone gets utterly concerned and disappointed. On his way to finishing perhaps the best game in his young career, he appeared to have turned his ankle going to the basket in a game where he already scored 27 points. He and fellow young guard Jordan Clarkson were firing on all cylinders, leading the Lakers to an almost improbable win against the Sacramento Kings.
Russell couldn't finish the game, while the Lakers couldn't complete the come-from-behind win; another loss for Los Angeles.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
With the injury, which later was revealed to be a sprain on his right ankle, forced him to miss majority of Friday's matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, where the Lakers once again lost in a tight one, 117-113. He managed to play eight minutes, but the coaching staff decided to rest him the rest of the way.
After the Sacramento game, Russell immediately went for X-rays and fortunately there were no broken bones. The team later said that it is nothing more than a "moderate" ankle sprain and the 19-year-old will only need some rest.
Although his season has been marred by inconsistencies and questionable amount of playing time from head coach Byron Scott, the rookie out of Ohio State has produced decent numbers so far, averaging 12.0 points and 3.4 assists. The Lakers front office selected him as the second overall pick in last year's draft, raising some eyebrows in the process since he was projected to be picked lower than that.
