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Golden State Warriors: D’Angelo Russell still has room to improve

By Tony Pesta

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 9: D'Angelo Russell #0 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies on December 9, 2019 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 9: D'Angelo Russell #0 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies on December 9, 2019 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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D’Angelo Russell still needs to improve before being named the future of the Golden State Warriors.

The Golden State Warriors are fully prepared to hand the keys off to D’Angelo Russell but his lackluster performance thus far this season has left them wanting more.

Trading for Russell was more than a last-second replacement for Kevin Durant. The Dubs are hoping that once Stephen Curry‘s age begins to catch up with him, Russell will be there to carry the next generation of Warriors basketball.

When Curry fell with a hand injury early in the season, the Warriors got their first chance to watch D-Lo as the franchise player. Though he struggled a bit with injuries himself, he had some great moments.

In his first four games without Curry, Russell averaged an astonishing 36.3 points, 7.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds. During this stretch, he scored a career-high 52 points in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Since then, things have slowed down for D-Lo. He is down to just 13.2 points per game across his last four matches and is turning the ball over nearly five times a night. It seems the weight of carrying the offense has caught up to him.

His poor performances have impacted the team as well. Golden State holds a 1-8 record with Russell as their best player. This is a concerning trend for a player who is supposed to be the future of the franchise.

Even though things have been ugly to start, we must give Russell time to grow. He has shown us that he is capable of being a big-time player but he hasn’t quite figured out how to sustain a high level of play yet.

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The Warriors will continue to work with Russell and figure out what needs to improve in order to make him the franchises next big star.

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