A couple of weeks ago, head coach Byron Scott decided to shake things up for the Los Angeles Lakers by implementing a new offensive set. Although the new wrinkle in the offense wasn’t an instant success with the Memphis Grizzlies crushing the Lakers in the team’s first game with the new set, things have started to turn around with the team winning three out of the last six games.
One player that has benefited more than most with the new offensive set is rookie D’Angelo Russell. The 20-year-old has been on a tear as of late with one impressive performance after another, but even though Russell appears to flourish in new set, Scott says the rookie calls plays less via Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News:
Byron said that Russell's play calling has actually decreased in new offensive set. Byron said its more about making reads
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) March 9, 2016
Last week, Russell set a career-high with a 39-point performance against the Brooklyn Nets. D’Angelo has scored 21 points or more in six of the last seven games and appears to be as confident as ever as the starting point guard on this team.
After winning two in a row, Russell and company will try to keep it going on Thursday. The Cleveland Cavaliers will be coming to town with LeBron James’ squad hoping to bounce back from a loss to the Grizzlies on Monday night at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Lakers, on the other hand, will attempt to make it three straight wins at home. Los Angeles will continue their homestand on Sunday when they host the Carmelo Anthony’s New York Knicks at the Staples Center.