Despite many absences through the first 42 games of the season, newcomer D'Angelo Russell has been praised for his positive locker room presence with the Golden State Warriors.

The 23-year-old arrived into a Warriors locker room with veteran stars like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, but has taken it upon himself to be a joyful, energetic presence amongst his new teammates. Players like Marquese Chriss and Willie Cauley-Stein have taken notice:

“He's positive, he's encouraging, just trying to bring everyone along with him,” said forward Marquese Chriss, who recently rejoined the team under a two-way contract after being waived last week, according to Leo Sepkowitz of Bleacher Report. “We're not going through the best time right now, so it's good to have someone who is consistently happy and brings good energy.”

Cauley-Stein raves about his playful persona, one that often cheers a Warriors team that has struggled to the NBA's worst record at 9-33:

“He's goofy,” said center Willie Cauley-Stein. “He plays around a lot, but he's a professional. He sees the game different, so he's gonna let you know if he sees something that you might not see. He's a leader, man.”

This is a much different presence and reputation than the one that hounded the Warriors star during his rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers, once the scandal with fellow Lakers teammate Nick Young broke out. Russell was shunned from the locker room and cold-shouldered by veterans around the league.

Yet the next three seasons have done wonders to his image. He's no longer viewed as an immature player, but a fun-loving youngster who can also deal some serious damage on the court. While there have been plenty of trade rumors surrounding D'Angelo Russell, the Warriors clearly value his presence and could very well wind up keeping him around for the long haul.