D’Angelo Russell discusses his continuous challenges in public.
D’Angelo Russell has struggled to establish a consistent spot in the rotation since joining the Lakers again. Russell’s role has significantly decreased over the last few weeks due to his inability to make baskets on the court, going from starter to sixth man to bench player. For the first time since things went south, Russell has now addressed the matter and clarified his position on everything.
Russell stated on the podcast “The Back Yard” that “I get into my flow stat e in the pick and roll, when it comes sit the game.” “I can therefore control the game if I can use pick and roll and manage who is defending me.
It’s evident from this statement that Russell desires greater control over the offense. Russell would much rather handle the ball himself and run sets for other players rather than playing off ball and being more of a catch-and-shoot player. Russell is unfortunate because LeBron James is the Lakers’ best offensive coordinator, which further muddies the waters.
Theoretically, the Lakers should be vying for D’Angelo Russell, but due to his possession mentality and unreliable shooting, he is incompatible with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Russell’s case isn’t helped by the fact that he can only be effective when he’s scoring the ball and is a liability on defense. This season has been chaotic due to these factors, and Russell’s numbers have decreased overall following a stellar start. He’s averaging 146 points, 6.1 assists, and 0.8 steals per game through 34 games at a 46% shooting percentage.
