“This is hot garbage and disrespectful” – Kendrick Perkins claiming he would trade DeAngelo Russell for ‘box of Christmas candles and lights’ has fans fuming

The Lakers are in a terrible run of form since winning the Inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament.

“This is hot garbage and disrespectful” – Kendrick Perkins claiming he would trade DeAngelo Russell for ‘box of Christmas candles and lights’ has fans fuming

Kendrick Perkins and D'Angelo Russell (via Open Source/X)

Thursday’s matchup at the United Center in Chicago between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Bulls saw D’Angelo Russell, the Lakers’ point guard, enduring a forgettable night. Throughout the game, he played for 28 minutes, yet his contributions were limited to just two points, one rebound, and two assists.

Prompted by D’Angelo Russell’s underwhelming performance, Kendrick Perkins, a former NBA basketball player and ESPN sports analyst, criticized his gameplay. Before entering the league, Russell garnered praise as one of the top prospects in the 2015 draft, leading the Lakers to select him with the second overall pick. Consequently, high expectations have surrounded him ever since.

YouTube video

Kendrick on the show had this to say:

FS Video
I would say Darvin Ham takes a little blame on this. But I'm looking at the players. Rui has to elevate his game more, be more consistent. Austin Reaves has been great off the bench. Cam Reddish, he needs to be more consistent. But it's about D'Angelo Russell.
Kendrick Perkins on D’Angelo Russell

He went on to add:

Right now, I would trade Russell for a box of Christmas-scented candles and a lifelong supply of Christmas lights. That's how horrible he's been. We talking about D-Lo, a guy that could go out every single night and get you a dub. The Lakers need scoring. They need to take the pressure off LeBron, need pressure to be taken off Anthony Davis. He's been too inconsistent. The Lakers already don't play with enough pace because he play too much East and West. He got to get it together.

During the last season with the Lakers, he maintained an average of 17.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game, with a 3-point percentage of 41.4 and a field goal percentage of 48.4. However, this season has seen a decline in those numbers, with current averages of 15.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 6.2 assists. Additionally, his 3-point percentage has decreased to 38.0, and his field goal percentage is now at 46.2.

Fans react to Kendrick Perkins’ comments on D’Angelo Russell

During an episode on NBA Today, Kendrick Perkins openly criticized the poor performance of Lakers’ point guard D’Angelo Russell against the Chicago Bulls. His comments sparked a frenzy on social media, particularly on the popular platform X (formerly known as Twitter), where many fans expressed their feelings that the comments were utterly disrespectful towards Russell.

D'Angelo Russell
D’Angelo Russell (via Los Angeles Times)

Here are some of the fan reactions:

Amidst the heavy criticism directed at Perkins for his blunt remarks, D’Angelo Russell showcased improvement in his next game. Last night, in the 118-111 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he scored 17 points, grabbed four rebounds, and contributed eight assists.

In case you missed it: