D'Angelo Russell: Lakers are 'most definitely' a playoff team

D'Angelo Russell is higher on the Los Angeles Lakers than most.

The confident freshman told Basketball Insiders that not only is he targeting a Rookie of the Year award for himself - "Of course" - but that he sees his first NBA season extending beyond the standard 82-game slate.

"Expectations are high," Russell said. "But this Lakers squad will most definitely be a playoff team."

That sound you just heard was record players scratching.

Confidence is a great, and likely necessary, thing for players to have, especially young ones entering a potentially difficult situation. And Russell is right to like his chances at being named the top rookie, as he has a clear path to playing time and offensive touches, and the physical gifts that made him the No. 2 pick in June.

But pegging the Lakers to rebound from their worst season in franchise history, a 21-61 mark, and bounce all the way back to the playoffs is extreme. The loose math there suggests that Russell, a healthier Kobe Bryant, the return of Julius Randle, and the addition of some quality but non-star rotation pieces will be worth roughly 24 wins. The Lakers will be better, but teams generally don't take those kind of one-year leaps.

To wit, ESPN's Summer Forecast projects the Lakers to finish 26-56, 14th in the Western Conference. Early betting lines have the Lakers' over-under for wins set at 31.5, which would have been good for 12th in the West last season. Sports Illustrated projects them for 30 wins, 13th in the conference.

Being doubted isn't a position familiar to the Lakers, but that may be fine with fans for now. The youth movement in progress led to record viewership for their summer league games, and even the always-competitive front office has all but admitted that the franchise's goals for this year are more about development and core-building than a final title push for Bryant.

You can read more about Russell in our pre-draft scouting report.