D’Angelo Russell, who has transformed from a Lakers trade chip to a clutch time hero, expressed his readiness and preparation for the upcoming test.
D’Angelo Russell, a 28-year-old guard, was called back to the Lakers by Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka on February 9, 2023. Pelinka emphasized Russell’s vital role in the Lakers’ late-season push and his role as a point guard alongside LeBron James.
Russell, who was moving from the eighth-place Wolves to the 13th-place Lakers, disagreed with his new GM’s optimism. He explained that the team complemented each other and started winning. The Lakers jumped to seventh in the Western Conference, leading to the conference finals, and Russell played a crucial role in the team’s success.
Russell’s 31-point performance in Game 6 of the first round helped close out the Memphis Grizzlies, while his 21 points in Game 3 of the second round helped the Golden State Warriors win 2-1. However, his playing time was slashed as he shot just 8-for-27 in the first three games of the conference finals. He was demoted to a bench role for Game 4 as the Denver Nuggets finished the sweep, highlighting the impact of Dillon Brooks’ defensive efforts on Russell.
Lakers coach Darvin Ham reduced Russell’s influence, focusing more on veteran guard Dennis Schroder for the series, despite his typically verbose nature.
Russell, a former assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks, had a long-standing relationship with assistant coach Ham, who was traded to the Brooklyn Nets last month. Russell had been around Ham for two months, but his relationship with Darvin Darvin was the reason he couldn’t have a relationship with him. Russell said that when he was struggling, there was no dialogue with the coach, and he just accepted it.
