The Los Angeles Lakers’ backcourt duo of D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves has been a key part of the team’s success over the last couple of years. However, this season, Russell has had a slow start, especially after a great performance last year.
After setting the Lakers’ single-season record for 3-pointers last season, Russell has been struggling with his shot this year. He’s currently averaging just 12 points per game, with a shooting percentage of 37.5% from the field and 29.2% from three-point range, both of which are career lows.
Despite Russell’s struggles, Reaves fully believes that his teammate will find his rhythm again and turn things around.
“I’m sure if you were to ask DLo, he would be frustrated with shots not falling,” Reaves said. “But there’s been multiple games, the Phoenix game at Phoenix, the first five minutes I think AD had 16 or 17 or whatever it was, and I personally thought DLo was controlling that game with his pace, his passing ability.”
Reaves added, “And he’s a pro at the end of the day. He works on his game, so me personally, I don’t feel like the shooting will continue. It just takes one game for him to see a couple go in and then he can get really hot. So it’s very early still and I have a lot of confidence in him to do the right thing.”
It’s also important to note that Russell has been helping the Lakers in other ways, particularly with his passing. Even though his role has been reduced, he’s still averaging 5.8 assists per game, with his turnovers staying below two per game.
Since Reaves and Russell are close, it’s not surprising that Reaves has faith in him to work through the struggles. Even if Russell’s shooting isn’t as strong as last year, it’s hard to imagine it staying below 30% for long. The season is still young, and once Russell starts making his shots, it will improve the Lakers’ offense. Reaves will continue to support him through it.
In the Lakers’ recent game against the Memphis Grizzlies, D’Angelo Russell had a tough time on both ends of the court. He played just 22 minutes, and after the game, head coach JJ Redick explained why he benched the starting guard in the second half.
“Just level of compete,” Redick said. “Attention to detail. Some of the things we’ve talked with him about for a couple of weeks.” Redick also mentioned that he felt Russell fell back into some of his old habits during the game against the Grizzlies.
