The Los Angeles Lakers are 36-30 for the season and occupy ninth place in the Western Conference. Out of their last six games, the squad has won four against the Washington Wizards, Oklahoma City Thunder, Milwaukee Bucks, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Lakers lost two of their last six matches to Sacramento Kings, and the Denver Nuggets. One of the players in the Lakers squad who has recently taken the reins of finesse is the All-Star point guard, D’Angelo Russell.
In the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he posted 26 points, 6 rebounds, and three assists. His prime performance came against the Milwaukee Bucks, during which he registered a team-high 44 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists.
However, as per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the early days when Russell once again started with the Lakers were marked by halted communication between him and head coach Darvin Ham.
As Russell himself mentioned, “His relationship with Darvin is the reason I couldn’t have a relationship with Darvin. When I was struggling, I would’ve been able to come to the coach and say, ‘Bro, this is what we should do. Like, I can help you.’ Instead, there was no dialogue. … I just accepted it. And we got swept and I’m here and he’s not. And I like our chances.”
D'Angelo Russell believes Dennis Schroder was the reason he couldn't establish a relationship with Darvin Ham
"His relationship with Darvin is the reason I couldn't have a relationship with Darvin. When I was struggling, I would've been able to come to the coach and say, 'Bro,… pic.twitter.com/BDiA7llKGj
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 13, 2024
During the 2023 Western Conference Finals, Ham decided to go with veteran guard Dennis Schroder, as Russell’s average was below ten points. Due to his performance, he was benched in the final game of the series. Now, Russell has become one of the integral parts of the Lakers and is averaging 42% on three-pointers as per ESPN.
Regarding his eventual impact in the playoffs this season, the icon of the Lakers, the league’s superstar, LeBron James, also shared, “I think he can do whatever the team needs, especially offensively. That’s what’s special about him. He can adapt to whatever the game calls for. But when D-Lo is at his best, he’s in attack mode.”
The Los Angeles Lakers will next face the Sacramento Kings, seventh in the Western Conference and 37-27 for the season. After that, they will play against the Golden State Warriors, tenth in the conference and 34-30 for the season.
