The Los Angeles Lakers managed to get back in the win column on Saturday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder after losing five of their last six games, picking up a huge 129-120 victory. LeBron James is going to get the most of the attention, and rightfully so, after he dropped 40 points to lead the Lakers to victory, but a small lineup change involving D'Angelo Russell may have played a big role in this win as well.
With Russell struggling as of late, head coach Darvin Ham opted to bring him off the bench against the Thunder in an effort to provide the Lakers with a much needed spark. The decision paid off in this game, and after the win, Russell opened up on his recent role change, and it seems like he's taking the move in stride.
Via Michael Corvo:
“D'Angelo Russell on coming off the bench: ‘The result was a win, so for me, that's all that matters. Just trying to impact winning and be energy whenever I get on the floor. Starting is a different monster. You're playing around starting units. You're playing against the scouting report. You're playing against a lot of things like that. When you come in, you gotta jump back on where the starters left off at, as far as matchups and things like that. So figuring out ways to still gain some type of advantage coming in at a later time.'”
D'Angelo Russell looking to help the Lakers in any way he can
Russell has been running hot or cold to start the season for the Lakers, but with his struggles becoming more pronounced, Ham decided it was time to make a change. It's only one game, but Russell put together a strong outing (15 PTS, 3 AST, 1 REB, 5-9 FGM), and his comments after the game indicate that he's not going to let this demotion impact his play on the court.
One game isn't going to completely make up for Russell's early-season struggles, as he will have to continue putting in the work to help his team go out and win games. But the initial returns here are encouraging, and Russell will have a chance to build off of this solid outing on Christmas day when the Lakers take on the Boston Celtics.