D’Angelo Russell continued his unreal tear on Thursday night, knocking down eight 3-pointers on his way to a team-high 29 points in the Los Angeles Lakers victory over the Chicago Bulls.
Russell has scored at least 27 points in four of the last five games while shooting a ridiculous 56.5% from deep over that span.
It has all coincided with the point guard’s return to the Lakers starting lineup. Russell’s hot shooting has helped open up the offense immensely and his confidence is at a high point right now, which he feels is rubbing off on his teammates as well.
“I think just helping the team get wins. I have a lot of fun out there whenever I’m making shots like that,” Russell said after the win. “I have a lot of fun doing it, so just trying to showcase it. It’s contagious, I think everybody kind of started shooting with that confidence a little bit and it just makes us that much harder to guard. My confidence is through the roof right now and I’m gonna keep it there. It’s always good to have that.”
The Lakers have struggled to get consistent support this season around LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but Russell has provided that and more as of late. Even though his role may change, Russell is ready to adapt to whatever the Lakers need.
“Like I said maybe a few interviews ago, just trying to complement LeBron and AD, to be honest,” Russell said of his role in the team’s recent offensive uptick. “I know they can get us out of games single-handedly, so to just try to complement them. If that’s me shooting, facilitating, whatever it may be.
“I’ve been in a few different situations so just adapting to my situation, the sooner the better for me always. This is me adapting to what my role it obviously. I don’t really know but I think the aggression has allowed me to have some success.”
The goal now is for the individual success to continue to lead to team success for the Lakers as a whole. Russell believes things are coming together, but thinks the team still needs to go through some more adversity within games.
“I think when we’re good, we’re good and when we’re bad, we’re bad,” Russell added. “Finding a way to have those in-between games where you still manage to either get a win or give ourselves a chance, I think that’s what we’re lacking right now… I don’t think we’ve had that adversity yet. I think we go down and then we kind of never come back. Or we go up and they may come back a little bit and we find a way to get the win. So I just think we’re missing that element of just that adversity. Grinding wins out from being down and coming together from missing the adversity.”
Perhaps a couple of those games is what the Lakers need to take that next step, but one thing the team definitely needs is for Russell to keep playing the way he has been.
Lakers’ Taurean Prince praises D’Angelo Russell for great play
Obviously the Lakers have been enjoying seeing Russell’s recent surge and is extremely happy for Russell overall. Taurean Prince recently praised the point guard for his play.
“Great rhythm. Obviously as a point guard, you’re able to touch and feel the ball often, so to be able to do that I’m sure is great for him,” Prince said. “And then his decision making has been great, whether it’s shooting or passing. So happy for him, for sure. Good for him.”
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