Russell accepted his bench role as coach Redick adjusted the lineup for the 76ers game.
For the second consecutive season, D’Angelo Russell opened the Lakers’ season as a starter, only to find himself shifted to the bench as the team wrestled with early losses.
This time, though, Russell seemed at ease with the adjustment after Friday’s 116-106 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
“I just wanted to win,” Russell shared after notching 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting and dishing out three assists from the bench. “So whatever it took, change of plans, whatever it is, whatever Coach needs, try to get the win and be a part of that.”
Cam Reddish stepped into Russell’s starting spot, marking the first lineup shift by new head coach JJ Redick this season.
Redick didn’t open up the starting roles during training camp, instead designating LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura, and Russell as the starting five based on their strong 18-6 record together in the previous season.
Russell initially secured his role with the starters but found himself benched in late December after the Lakers endured a rough 1-5 stretch. Former coach Darvin Ham kept him on the second unit until mid-January, as the two reportedly struggled to connect.
Reflecting on his reaction to Redick’s decision, Russell shared,
“I left all that, all my baggage at the door this summer once we changed coaches and new staff came in. I was committed to whatever it takes. That’s what y’all see now.”
Friday night, with the Lakers dropping four of their last five games, Redick made a bold decision. Following Wednesday’s loss to Memphis, he benched Russell in favor of Reddish, who hadn’t even been in the rotation three games earlier.
Moves like this are often a gamble, and it wasn’t long ago that fans questioned similar choices, like when Ham benched Austin Reaves for Reddish early last season.
But on Friday, the change delivered. Reddish took on the challenge of guarding the 76ers’ top perimeter player, Paul George. This adjustment freed Reaves to focus on offense, leading him to his best shooting performance of the season. Meanwhile, Russell energized the Lakers’ bench.
And most critically, the Lakers emerged victorious, downing the 76ers 116-106 in their first home game after a grueling 1-4 road trip.
LeBron James notched his second triple-double of the season with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists. Anthony Davis led the team with 31 points, and the Lakers hit a season-high 16 three-pointers, including six from Reaves. Russell’s 18 points from the bench tied the season high for a Lakers reserve.
Midway through Wednesday’s game against the Grizzlies, Redick had pulled Russell, frustrated with the team’s lack of focus. Footage showed an exasperated Redick pounding his chair in frustration after a series of mistakes.
“Basketball is, to me, an emotional game. I’m a competitive person, I’m a passionate person,” Redick said before Friday’s game. “Sometimes you lose, for a brief period of time, you lose control of that emotion. It’s not the first time that it’s happened.”
Redick clarified to D’Angelo Russell that his anger wasn’t personal but stemmed from a buildup of errors during a game they had expected to win.
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Image: © Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
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