The 9-time PBA champion may have a point.
To all those who thought that D’Angelo Russell was a better fit for the Los Angeles Lakers over Kyrie Irving, Chris Ross of the San Miguel Beermen wants to speak with you.
Yes, that's the same Chris Ross who dropped everything to serve as team captain for the Gilas Pilipinas Redeem Team in the recent Southeast Asian Games. So you know it's coming from a place of authority.
Does he now have your attention?
These words described Ross' feelings on Tuesday, as the Denver Nuggets swept the Purple and Gold in the Western Conference Finals on the way to their first-ever NBA Finals. The whole Lakers team failed, but it's Russell who got the ire of Ross.
Looking at these anemic statlines, it's easy to understand the two-time PBA Finals MVP.
Game 1 – 8 points
Game 2 – 10 point
Game 3 – 3 points
Game 4 - 4 points
All the hullaballoo started on April 12, 2023, after the Lakers struggled to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA Play-In Tournament. During the regular season, Kyrie Irving was one of the rumored trade targets of the Lakers, until Irving was shipped to the Dallas Mavericks and the Lakers got Russell as part of the trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Some fans lauded the move, but on April 12th, Ross went on Twitter to ask these fans if they still think the same way about the trade.
What prompted the San Miguel Beermen stalwart to post such a tweet was Russell’s two-point performance in what was obviously a highly crucial game versus the Wolves. Afterwards, Russell even sounded defiant despite being a non-factor. But yep, Chris just wanted to rub it in against the Irving skeptics.
It’s tough to blame Kyrie’s critics, though, as controversy always seems to follow the enigmatic NBA superstar wherever he goes. Perhaps it was a factor why some are iffy about siding with the more spectacular talent. It also didn’t help that Irving’s partnership with Mavs superstar Luka Doncic turned out to be a disappointment.
All that being said, the numbers and the eye-test don’t lie. Kyrie is more productive and is a better shot-maker than D-Lo, hands down. It’s hard to imagine Irving having the same output as Russell in the recently concluded Western Conference Finals. If Lakers have to make a choice between keeping D-Lo and pursuing Kai, Ross has made himself heard.
For now, all we know is that the eight-time NBA All-Star was in the building during Game 4 as the Lakers tried to survive against the Nuggets.
The Lakers will have a chance at signing King James’ old partner-in-crime from his Cleveland Cavalier days this offseason. But that could mean losing one of the team’s most reliable role players in Rui Hachimura or Austin Reaves. Lakers nation will have to wait and see for now.
(GM)