D'Angelo Russell credited his recent surge as an All-Star in the NBA to finally getting the opportunity to shine. The new Golden State Warriors addition was bound to make his mark with the Brooklyn Nets quickly after being traded by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017, though an early-season injury derailed that process.
The shifty 6-foot-5 guard noted how the 2018-19 season gave him the perfect avenue to shine at the point guard spot and make use of all the hard work he had put in over the course of the offseason:
“It was all about having that opportunity. I had the opportunity to be me on the court,” Russell told Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype. “I give a lot of credit to the [Nets’] coaching staff for allowing me to be me and to really thrive. I really appreciate that opportunity.”
Russell never had a real chance to evolve during his time with the Lakers. It became evident when the organization dumped him in a trade for Brook Lopez in hopes to free up salary cap space by attaching Timofey Mozgov, also opening a spot for Lonzo Ball, whom the franchise envisioned as their point guard of the future.
The Ohio State product would come back from knee surgery in 2018, and while he showed flashes of brilliance, Russell never really regained the 20-point-per-game form he started the season on.
Last season, the stars aligned for Russell in Brooklyn. Caris LeVert went down with a scary-looking injury, forcing Russell to take the bulk of the scoring load and keep his team afloat until LeVert's return. Russell shined, blessed with good enough health to appear in 81 games, averaging 21.1 points and 7.0 assists per game — numbers that made him a first-time All-Star.
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