"Gotta play the whitey's together" - Nick Young continues to slander D'Angelo Russell by suggesting Austin Reaves is better

Nick Young and the rest of the "Gil's Arena" crew have been highly impressed with how JJ Redick managed to rotate players and utilize the bench depth in his coaching debut. Moreover, while JJ might have done a great job running the offense through Anthony Davis and integrating Jaxson Hayes as the perfect pick-and-roll backup for AD, "Swaggy P" was most excited about the prospect of seeing Dalton Knecht and Austin Reaves compliment each other so well.

Keeping his beef against D'Angelo Russell alive, Young boldly asserted that he wishes to see Reaves replace the 6'3" point guard as the Lakers' starting PG so that DLo could be bounced out of the rotation.

Nick wants the Lakers to trade D'Angelo

Since rookie Dalton Knecht single-handedly led the Purple & Gold to victory in a preseason game against the Phoenix Suns by dropping their 20 straight points, expectations about him have skyrocketed. In his official debut, the 23-year-old played only 16 minutes but showed great confidence, scoring five points, while shooting 50 percent from the field. Moreover, Dalton's strong chemistry with Austin was evident, as they easily created open looks for one another on multiple possessions.

Even though Reaves struggled from the three-point line, going 0-for-5, he made his impact felt by grabbing nine rebounds and adding 12 points. Reflecting on these numbers, Young urged how he wants Redick to make AR the team's starting point guard over Russell, eventually phasing out the one-time All-Star completely out of the Lakers' roster.

"Perfect, couldn't do no wrong," Young explained how coach Redick performed in his Lakers' debut. "The way he played the LeBron-Bronny, the perfect time…. The rookie - little Knecht… you gotta play the whitey's together (with) Austin. Gotta get rid of Russ. Trade him for VanVleet because Reaves' about to take that spot. LeBron, Davis, with the whitey's out there… they good."

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D’Angelo has been in trade rumors for a while

Young's disdain for DLo is well-known, and it's no surprise he would root against him. However, one of the reasons the Lakers have kept this core group intact is their belief that players like Rui Hachimura will be a force in the paint. In contrast, Russell could maintain his efficiency from beyond the arc, as he did last season. This balance is crucial to easing the scoring burden on LeBron James and AD.

Being the only Lakers starter not to log points in double digits in the 2024-25 season-opener, Russell definitely had a slow start to the campaign. However, D'Angelo needs to trust his abilities if he wants to prove his worth and help the Lake Show regain its lost spot at the top of the Western Conference.

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