“Don’t Get Comfortable With Sitting Down”: D’Angelo Russell Talks About Difference in Starting vs Coming Off the Bench

D’Angelo Russell was the Lakers’ starting point guard for the first eight games of the season. But his lack of impact on both ends of the floor and the team’s need for more defensive depth prompted rookie head coach JJ Redick to tweak the lineup and bench the guard for Cam Reddish. Getting benched was likely a tough blow to the veteran’s morale, but it hasn’t affected his preparation.

On the contrary, he has slightly modified his pregame routine and is keen on making an impact off the bench. He detailed his shift in mindset and change in warmup regime on The Backyard Podcast, saying,

“[Coming off the bench] is an adjustment… For me, I do what I do to be ready before the game… I’m on the treadmill, I’m on all that stuff. So for me to do that, then I have to cool down a little bit. [But] you are trying to find ways to not be cooling when you would be playing. Just trying to stay loose. Don’t get comfortable with sitting down.” 

Russell explained that he does band work with a trainer while the game is on and he’s on the bench to ensure he’s warmed up, loose, and ready to play at full speed as soon as he enters the game rather than working his way into it. He claimed it’s critical for him to be aggressive to make as much impact as possible in his limited time on the court.

The transition from a starter to being benched seemed difficult at first. D’lo’s numbers continued to be unimpressive and his impact was close to insignificant. However, the guard has turned it around in the past two games.

Can Russell be reliable off the bench?

As a starter, Russell was having a dismal campaign. He averaged 12 points on 11 shot attempts, banking only 29.2% of his three-point attempts. He didn’t set the floor ablaze with his playmaking either. A 5.8 assists to 1.6 turnover ratio is what a player of his caliber and experience should be concerning.

However, getting benched did wonders for his form. In his first two games as the Lakers’ sixth man, he scored 18 and 15 points in wins over the 76ers and Raptors, respectively. In those two outings, he also found his rhythm as a shooter. He shot 52% from the field, including 38.5% from beyond the arc.

However, those stellar performances were seemingly a honeymoon phase as his numbers dipped in his next six outings. In that span, he averaged only 8.3 points on 32.7% shooting. He also converted only 24.1% of his three-pointers, an alarming dip in form.

Russell’s form has seen an uptick in the Lakers’ last two games. He scored 16 in the loss to the Suns, and 17 in the win over the Spurs. His unpredictable form is why he lost his place in the starting lineup. Given that inconsistency remains a consistent feature of his game, it’s unlikely he’ll win his place back.

However, if the veteran guard can be impactful off the bench night in and night out, he’d become an invaluable asset to the Lakers. Will that be the case? Only time will tell.