D’Angelo Russell returned to the court where, an hour earlier, he had just finished his best basketball game as a Laker.
He smiles as he looks at the almost empty Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers had just beaten the Milwaukee Bucks 123-122 without LeBron James. Russell made the go-ahead basket to give him 44 points. He had scored 21 of the Lakers’ 27 points in the fourth quarter, tied for third-most by a Lakers player in the final quarter.
It was his moment.
In his mind, that’s still the case.
He looked at the empty stands Friday night and said without James, a full building and a national television audience, he was ready.
“It’s like all these people are there for me,” he said. “That’s my mindset.”
Russell’s supreme confidence was not always seen as an asset. The circumstances of his season in Los Angeles should have shattered that perception months ago, but it never did.
Discussed in virtually every impact trade scenario, in and out of the starting lineup and falling out of rhythm, Russell saved his season – and likely the Lakers’.
“When I talk to my colleagues, they know what I am capable of. I just talk to those around me. I brag about them,” Russell told the Times on the field Friday night. “Everyone tweets about me, we talk about it. And that’s just motivation. It just nourishes me.
On Friday, Russell was getting gas.
As Anthony Davis” With his left arm dangling after a collision with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks taking a late lead, Russell sank a big three to keep the game within his reach. And when he had the chance to make the biggest shot of the match, he did it with confidence.
Russell attacked Damian Lillard and Brook Lopez in a pick-and-roll, and as he quickly moved in, then out, he floated a 13-footer through the rim with his left hand for the final points Match.
“It’s DLo, man,” coach Darvin Ham said.
Since returning to the starting lineup on January 13, Russell has been sensational, averaging 22.8 points and 6.4 assists while making 45.8 percent of his shots from three on over eight attempts per game .
The Lakers have won 16 of those 25 games.
Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, left, slides a pass around Bucks center Brook Lopez during the first half Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.
(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
The heater itself isn’t crazy when you consider Russell’s talent – his unorthodox style masking a widely respected skill set like silky shooting and elite vision and passing on the court.
It’s a little crazy, though, considering Russell’s trade value — or lack thereof — was one of the big stories around the Lakers leading up to the trade deadline.
“He and I had a conversation. I won’t go into detail, but he and I have had conversations about it,” Ham said after Friday’s game. “And you know, it’s, I’m not saying it’s unfortunate, but it’s just a reality of our business. His name is mentioned because it has value and is worth something; the other teams see it.
Yet people with knowledge of the trade negotiations and not authorized to speak publicly paint a different picture of Russell’s value at the deadline. His $18.7 million player option for next season was viewed negatively across the league, as teams asked the same questions evaluators have been asking about Russell for years.
Yes, he is talented, but does he affect winning?
The non-existent trade market left little doubt about the teams’ response.
“With my job and my talent on the field, I always had the feeling of being capable of doing things. Being hot makes things a little more exciting throughout a game,” Russell said in his post-match press conference. “Off the field, obviously, you know what I went through. Public humiliation only made me the killer you all see today. And I never lack confidence. I’m never afraid of confrontation. I want all the smoke.
Russell credited a three-game absence around New Year’s with opening his eyes to how he could better be himself.
“I just recognize pockets where I could be more aggressive and effective,” Russell said. “And I saw him and I attacked him as soon as I got back.”
He also vowed to stop being deferential, to trust that he would do the right thing when the moment called for it.
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, center, talks with guards D’Angelo Russell, left, and Max Christie during the first half Friday night.
(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
“I don’t want to say he stopped caring, but in some sense he stopped caring about something,” Austin Reaves told the Times. “I don’t know exactly what that something was.”
It wasn’t perfect and it wasn’t Friday.
One of Russell’s three missed three-pointers Friday was a rushed shot from the top of the key in the third quarter, an airball. Davis immediately told him he thought it was a bad move. Russell’s highlights this week were also surrounded by tough nights with losses to Denver and Sacramento.
But as Russell has become more comfortable asserting himself, the Lakers have become more comfortable relying on him to do so.
“DLo was DLo,” Davis said. “Took control of the game for us. »
Fittingly, Russell wasn’t the only player to rewrite his own value on Friday. Spencer Dinwiddie, a player who saw his role change in Brooklyn this season before being traded and waived, made his biggest play in his first start for his hometown Lakers.
After Russell’s go-ahead, Dinwiddie blocked Lillard’s potential game-winning shot with a wonderful defensive play.
“That’s all. I mean, I’m not going to lie to you, having been a heavily used offensive guy for my entire career, I mean, even as a kid, stuff like that, I kind of dreamed of those moments in terms of hitting the shot, not necessarily getting the block,” Dinwiddie said. “But it’s just as sweet.” So it’s fun to take on a new role on my childhood team and be productive in the sense of helping us achieve wins. So that’s not lost on me, and it’s something that I’m definitely going to cherish for the rest of my life.
Lakers teammates Jaxson Hayes, right, Spencer Dinwiddie, center, and D’Angelo Russell celebrate their victory against the Bucks after Dinwidde blocked the potential game-winning shot Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.
(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
Over the past couple of months, Russell has had a handful of such moments, with his return to the Lakers, the franchise that drafted him, seeing an upward trend after many moments where it seemed destined to end.
“I just feel confident in what I bring to basketball,” Russell said. “If it’s film, watching it, helping young players, I know what I bring to the table. No matter what room I walk into, I am confident.
The trade rumors couldn’t shake him. The criticism of his game didn’t change anything. This is an essential trait.
“There are like a handful of people on this earth who have the confidence that he has on the field,” Reaves told the Times. “…I wish I could have it.” I really do.”
