D’Angelo Russell had a rough road trip, but it was still a mild surprise to see head coach JJ Redick bench him for the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Redick started Reddish in place of Russell to balance out the starting lineup and it worked to perfection as the former did a good job hounding Paul George, who had an off night from the floor. On the flip side, Russell looked much more comfortable off the bench as he seemed more aggressive and got into the paint on numerous occasions.
Russell led the Lakers’ bench in scoring with 18 points, helping the team win 116-106 in the process. It was refreshing to see the guard not settle for jumpers, and Redick had to be pleased with his decision making on the floor throughout the evening.
After the game, Russell addressed his move to the bench and emphasized that he is just focused on winning.
“I just wanted to win, so whatever it took. Change of plans, whatever it is and whatever coach needs, just try to get the win and be a part of that,” Russell said of his mindset on being benched.
Russell is showing real signs of maturity in the third season of his second stint with the Lakers as he handled his new role about as well as anyone could have hoped for. The former No. 2 overall pick could have easily pouted and complained about coming off the bench, as he may have down in previous years, but he took the move in stride and turned in a noteworthy performance.
He would go on to discuss why he seems to be taking it better this season than he did when he was benched by Darvin Ham last year.
“I just wanted the win. I think that’s what it came down to this year. Last year, we didn’t win so just trying to be a part of the winning culture,” Russell added.
Russell has expressed his faith in Redick multiple times already, and that appears to have played a big role in Russell accepting the bench role.
“I just want to win. However it happened, however the conversation went and however the relationship, whatever it may be, I just try and be professional and be a part of winning. [It’s] as simple as that. I left all my baggage at the door this summer. Once we changed coaches and a new staff came in, I was committed to whatever it takes, so that’s just what y’all see now.”
Defensively, swapping Russell for Reddish makes sense as the latter is a much more versatile piece on that end. On the offensive end, it gives players like Austin Reaves more chances to initiate the offense and either score for themselves or set up a teammate.
While moving Russell to the bench seems to be a smart move initially, he’ll need to continue to perform this well to prove it was the right decision. Redick also said that his lineups are fluid so Russell could find himself back with the starting group at any point.
Austin Reaves has confidence in D’Angelo Russell to turn things around
Austin Reaves had his best shooting night of the 2024-25 season and it might not have been a coincidence with D’Angelo Russell on the bench. However, Reaves remains confident that Russell will be able to turn things around and the latter is off to a good start.
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