D'Angelo Russell (Photo : Twitter)
Most professional athletes are equipped with an unnerving confidence that almost always carry them from the brink of defeat to the otherworldly joy of victory.
This, - in common parlance - swagger, takes an individual or a team to new heights that separate the proverbial men from the boys.
Take D'Angelo Russell.
The Los Angeles Lakers' top pick in the 2015 NBA Draft is just a couple of months from officially putting his name on the back of the famous purple and gold colors, and yet, he's already - seemingly - biting off more than he can chew.
Russell is in his infancy in terms of professional basketball experience.
Yes, he's played in the Las Vegas Summer League where he averaged a modest 11.8 points, 3.2 assists, and 5.2 turnovers in his first five games.
However, these summer games are nowhere near what the long, arduous NBA season has to offer. In addition, those personal stats don't exactly add up to a highly touted No. 2 pick.
So, will these numbers worsen in the regular season? Does Russell have what it takes to become the 2015-16 NBA Rookie of the Year?
More importantly, what does he bring to help the struggling Lakers make the playoffs?
In a recent interview with Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, D'Angelo Russell was asked whether winning the Rookie of the Year is among his objectives in the season.
His simple answer: "Of course, I have been grinding all summer to put myself in that position."
But the intriguing part of interview is when the Louisville native was probed about his LA's postseason chances.
"Expectations are high," Russell said. "But this Lakers squad will most definitely be a playoff team."
Bold words, indeed, coming from a point guard who hasn't even played a single second of NBA basketball.
More than the flashy assists, the dagger jump shots, and the youthful moxie, Russell needs to squeeze and absorb as much knowledge from a soon-to-be retiring Kobe Bryant, as well as his coach Byron Scott, and translate those things on the court.
The future of Los Angeles Lakers looks promising with the likes of Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and to a certain extent Lou Williams, however, D'Angelo Russell has to be the man who will drive the team out of the cellar and into title contention.
In short, in order for the 19-year-old Russell to fulfill this claim and contribute to the Lakers' odds of making the playoffs, he needs to - literally and figuratively - grow up quick.
