During NBA summer league play, Lakers coach Byron Scott pumped the brakes on any comparisons between rookie point guard D'Angelo Russell and Hall of Famer Magic Johnson.
Apparently, Russell is quick to impress.
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Russell had 11 assists and just two turnovers in 18 minutes off the bench against Maccabi Haifa on Sunday night. His ability to watch plays unfold has Scott planning on giving him freedom to take chances with passes, lakersnation.com reported.
"I think you've got to let his instincts kind of take over," Scott said about Russell after Monday's practice. "I think guys are starting to realize that when they don't think they're open, sometimes he thinks you are and you've got to be ready for it. It was the same with Magic, when he came down the court, you made sure that your hands were ready and that you were looking at him, because even if he wasn't looking at you, he could fire a pass to you. D'Angelo has a lot of that type of instinct in him. I think the guys are learning that when they're playing with him, to always be ready."
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Scott's latest comments are a departure from his stance over the summer as the No. 2 overall draft pick out of Ohio State was just getting his feet wet with the Lakers organization.
"Let's make this very clear, Russell is not Magic Johnson," Scott told the Los Angeles Times. "Magic came on the scene, and instantly he's a Hall-of-Famer. D'Angelo has a way to go, there's no doubt about that."
After losing their first three preseason games, Los Angeles dominated Maccabi Haifa, 126-83, but the level of competition did not have an effect on Scott's new praise for Russell as he distributed the ball to veteran Lou Williams and Nick Young.
"Those guys have some experience and they are used to getting open and he was hitting them (Nick Young and Lou Williams) right on the button where they don't have to do nothing but shoot it," Scott said, according to lakersnation.com.
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