Los Angeles Lakers: Bad Idea To Bench D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle

The Los Angeles Lakers are benching D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle for the next 5-10 games, and it’s not going to benefit them in the long run.

Los Angeles Lakers‘ head coach Byron Scott said that he plans to use young players D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle off the bench over the next five to 10 games, according to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes.

This isn’t the first time Russell has been benched, though. The rookie point guard did not see much, if any, playing time in the fourth quarter earlier this season, most notably after a home loss on Nov. 4, when Lou Williams played instead of Russell.

The Lakers, who are 3-18 this season, need all the experience they can get for the future of their franchise. Scott has been credited with the development of star NBA point guards Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving, however his coaching appears to be inconsistent among the three guards.

Russell vs. Paul vs. Irving

Comparing Paul and Irving’s rookie seasons suggests that they received a substantial amount of playing time. Paul was the fourth overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. Irving was the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. Russell was the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.

It is fair to say that Paul was strides better than Irving and Russell coming into the NBA, but the gap between Irving and Russell isn’t as drastic.

Paul’s Rookie Table

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Generated 12/8/2015.

Irving’s Rookie Table

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Generated 12/8/2015.

Russell’s Rookie Table

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/8/2015.

Russell’s role in the offense isn’t typical of a guard drafted in the top five of the draft. With legendary Laker Kobe Bryant on a retirement tour and guard Jordan Clarkson proving to be a scoring threat, Russell doesn’t get a lot of opportunities to score.

On the contrary, Irving was the leading scorer on the Cavs his rookie year and Paul was the second-leading scorer on the Hornets in his rookie year. Russell is being cheated out of an increased role because of Bryant’s retirement and poor shot selection.

Bryant is taking 17.8 shots per game this season and is shooting 30.8 percent. Comparatively, Michael Jordan took 18.6 shots per game in his final season, but made 44.5 percent of his shots. It’s apparent that Russell isn’t getting a fair opportunity during his rookie season.

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It’s important for Russell to get an opportunity to create shots for himself. He has done a good job of not complaining about lack of shots or playing time and has shown maturity off the court. However, he needs to have an opportunity to show what he can do on the court.

At some point, Scott needs to sit Bryant down and discuss the future of the franchise and trying to find a balance between increasing the roles of Russell and Clarkson and decreasing the number of shots that Bryant is taking.

Is sitting Russell and Randle worth it?

It’s not worth it to sit Russell and Randle. Players gain the most experience in games by learning from their mistakes. Practice is important for learning plays and gaining chemistry by playing with different players and in different lineups. Games provide the best opportunity for young players to learn.

Let’s look at the 2014-15 Minnesota Timberwolves, for example. Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and other young Wolves took a leap from their skills in December to how they ended the season in March and April. Wiggins and LaVine, specifically, were timid and didn’t attack the basket early in the season.

Late in the year, the young Wolves played aggressively and weren’t afraid to attack the NBA’s premier players.

Russell is a rookie point guard that has the potential to be the face of the franchise. Randle, a sophomore, was injured in his first game of his rookie season and was out for the rest of the year. Essentially, this is also Randle’s rookie season. They are both very young and need an opportunity to grow as players.

Randle has a prime opportunity to develop his offensive game with this Lakers team. They don’t have a legitimate post threat on offense, and that is where Randle can develop. He already has a good face-up offensive game, but now he can polish his back-to-the-basket post moves.

Randle is shooting 43.5 percent from the field, which is good for a “rookie.” His scoring output could improve by developing offensively. It will make him more difficult to defend and create better shot opportunities for himself and his teammates.

Minutes are important, but the most important part is crucial minutes against their opponent’s best lineups. That is where Russell and Randle will be challenged the most and have the best opportunity to learn.

Next: Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe's Impact On Young Trio

If Scott is going to sit Russell and Randle, it may be best for him to do it late in games that are already out of reach. They will gain the most experience competing early in games, against starting lineups and in critical late-game situations.

This needs to be a learning season for the Lakers’ young players, but they won’t be learning from the bench. Seeing where Russell and Randle are in March with their games will be the best way to determine if Scott is making the right decision.