There seems to be little love lost between the oldies the Los Angeles Lakers his teammates Dennis Schröder and D’Angelo Russell. The two were each a key part of the Lakers’ run to the Western Conference Finals in 2023. Los Angeles ultimately fell in a (close) four-game sweep, to eventual league champion Denver Nuggets.
By ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Russell blames Schröder’s close friendship with head coach Darvin Ham as a direct obstacle to Russell’s ability to foster a viable dynamic last season. Russell, Los Angeles’ starting point guard for much of last year (and this year), struggled to develop a consistent shooting rhythm throughout the playoffs, but his offense fell apart so terribly in the WCF series that his replacement, Schröder, got more minutes and, ultimately, his first job. Schröder is a much better defender at the point of attack and is less prone to turnover issues.
“(Schröder’s) relationship with Darvin is the reason I couldn’t have a relationship with Darvin,” Russell said. “When I was in trouble, I could have come to the coach and said, ‘Brother, this is what we should do. Like, I can help you.’ Instead, there was no dialogue. … I just accepted it… And we got swept away and I’m here and he’s not. And I like our chances.
Schröder, now with the Brooklyn Nets, refuted that claim, writing Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “I don’t understand,” Schröder commented. “But at the end of the day, it just shows immaturity. You’re not really mature if you just keep someone’s name in their mouth and put it out there. I don’t get it.”
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Ham himself intervened later. According to Athletic’s Jovan Buha, he claimed his bond with Russell “is in a great position.” Ham added: “We have great conversations… Great text exchanges after games. During the game, our in-game conversations… It’s tough. That’s why the phrase is called ” build a relationship.
Schröder left the team in free agency last summer. He signed a two-year, $25.4 million deal with the Toronto Raptors. Los Angeles team president/general manager Rob Pelinka replaced him with former Miami Heat point guard Gabe Vincent. Vincent was sidelined for much of the year, appearing in only five competitions in total due to a left knee effusion. He is currently recovering from surgery to resolve the issue, but for now his role has essentially been replaced by buyout deal signing Spencer Dinwiddie.
Uncommon knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
