D’Angelo Russell returns to Los Angeles Lakers’ starting lineup with a vengeance.
Los Angeles Lakers fans wanted more aggression from D’Angelo Russell and that’s exactly what they have gotten over the past two games. A move to the bench and back to the starting lineup wasn’t enough to faze Russell. Rather than mope, complain or sulk into subpar play, the rookie picked his head up and displayed useful parts of his game that he can take into the future.
Friday night’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs was lopsided as expected, but Russell was the lone bright spot in the team’s loss. With second-leading scorer Jordan Clarkson ailing with a sore ankle, Russell’s return alongside Kobe Bryant went better than expected.
It was after the team’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves that Russell expressed his feelings about more freedom with the second unit:
DAR on playing w/o Kobe: "There's more ball movement. No disrespect to Kobe, but u just know u have more opportunities bc he's who he is."
— Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) December 8, 2015
The freedom must have been contagious for the starters. Everything seemed to click from the onset of the game. After one half of basketball, Russell put up 15 points.
D'Angelo Russell with 15 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds in the first half. Fuego. pic.twitter.com/SvSO6S6LYI
— Drew Garrison (@DrewGarrisonSBN) December 12, 2015
To end the night, he filled the stat sheet with 24 points, six assists and six rebounds. Russell’s best all-around showing this season left head coach Byron Scott more than satisfied:
Byron Scott said he's pleased with D'Angelo Russell's progress, that he's getting better quickly. "It's a good sign for us."
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) December 12, 2015
Three-point range was where the rook showed his best touch. Russell buried five total baskets from downtown, good for 50 percent.
There were also times where he showed, arguably, his best defensive effort and recognition. He put good pressure on the ball and stayed tight to sharpshooter Danny Green (three points total). Building positive plays on the other end of the floor can do wonders for Russell’s confidence.
Both Kobe Bryant and Lou Williams had solid games starting beside Russell with 12 and 19 points respectively on 50 percent shooting. Russell’s existence as both a playmaker and scorer opened up plenty of opportunity for both players.
Perhaps Russell could have flirted with a triple-double with stronger rolls by Roy Hibbert. Russell also seems to agree, and feels some type of way about it:
This road-trip has proven to be a good stepping stone for Russell’s evolution. In one week, Russell was able to post two consecutive 20-point performances, team-leading scoring in both games, and a career-high of points on Friday. The showing wasn’t an easy feat, given the Spurs’ stingy defense and, again, Russell’s new role.
Next: NBA Power Rankings: Week 7
Naturally, lots of doubters surfaced when Russell was pretty much bounced to the bench. To adjust, he’s doing exactly as he should be doing, and that’s letting his play continue to do the talking for anyone concerned.