With LeBron James out on Thursday night, the Los Angeles Lakers were more reliant on Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell to help carry the offense and create for their teammates. While Reaves put forth another excellent effort, Russell, for the most part, came up short.
While he did have an excellent fourth quarter, leading the Lakers with 13 points, Russell was awful in the first three periods of a 118-111 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Russell made just 2-of-11 shots in the first three quarters, and though an overall stat line of 17 points and eight assists looks decent on the surface, needing 19 shots to get there showed his inefficiency.
Russell himself also understands that his performance simply was not satisfactory and stressed the need to be better in order for the Lakers to get some wins, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“I just got to be better, obviously. Just finding a way to be better. No excuse for that. It was good to see some go in but obviously we want the win to be the result. Just got to play better, it happens.”
On a positive note, Russell did make an effort on defense even though his shot wasn’t falling, finishing with two steals and three blocks on the night. And while he will continue to make that effort defensively, Russell knows his primary role on the Lakers is to make shots:
“I have an idea. When I’m not making shots and things like that, it’s not relevant to our success. We need guys that are going to make shots. We need guys that are going to get stops. And if I’m not making shots, they’re going to depend on me just to get a stop. That’s where I work, that’s where I try to be better, but it’s not what I do. Doing that is an extra, and it’s where my focus is, but knowing what I do, that’s something that I know as well.”
The month of December has been a rough one for Russell, who is averaging just 9.8 points on 37.5% shooting and 27.5% from 3-point range in eight regular season games. The effort is there and is appreciated, but the Lakers need him to be better and he knows this as well.
D’Angelo Russell responds to old Magic Johnson comments
This is Russell’s second stint with the Lakers as he was traded away just two years after the franchise drafted him in 2015. Following that deal, then-Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson commented that the team needed someone who was a leader.
Russell recently spoke about that on his new podcast, noting that Magic created a stereotype around him that he wasn’t a leader.
However, Russell believes his experiences after leaving the Lakers proved otherwise amid a realization he was having a positive impact on teammates, both on and off the court.
Now back with the Lakers, Russell is continuing to do everything he can to bring success to the team and has had a positive impact within the locker room as well.
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