Recently, Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick made a bold move by moving point guard D’Angelo Russell to the bench and replacing him in the starting lineup with Cam Reddish.
It was a move that then-head coach Darvin Ham made last season and got plenty of criticism for. But this time, it has been working, at least so far. Russell, who shot poorly in eight games as a starter, has played better as a reserve, and in doing so, he has given a very weak Lakers bench a boost. The Lakers have won all five games they have played since Russell was moved to the bench.
As team insider Anthony Irwin noted, the former No. 2 overall pick is making a positive impact in his new role.
Via ClutchPoints:
“Russell is a very good offensive point guard,” Irwin wrote. “He understands the rhythm of the sport and keeps the system running. He’s done so for nine years as a starter. In a starting group with Davis, Austin Reaves and LeBron James, those skills aren’t as needed.
“Against bench units and the lesser defenses, not only are his own defensive concerns less harmful, he can help the lineups he’s leading absolutely feast.
“When he’s been on the court, the Lakers are scoring 128.5 points per 100 possessions. Of the Lakers who’ve played at least 100 minutes, Russell’s on-court offensive rating is the highest. Only Dalton Knecht’s 127.6 rating comes close. When the two are on the court at the same time, the Lakers are scoring an insane 132.3 points per 100 possessions, the second highest of any combination in the NBA to have played at least 100 minutes together.”
For almost a full calendar year, he has been mentioned as trade bait for a number of players. But now, according to Irwin, the Lakers may soon become somewhat reluctant to part with him in a trade that could improve their roster.
“In talking to sources close to the Lakers, Russell playing well in this role might make them a little more reluctant to part with him, as bench unit seriously struggled with Gabe Vincent at the helm,” wrote Irwin. “If this is actually who Russell can be for the rest of the season, the Lakers might get even more picky about who they’d trade him for, or would look to find a more reliable option than Vincent as part of a Russell trade.”
The market for Russell, who made the All-Star team during the 2018-19 season and had a career-best effort last season, has been very tepid, and that presumably played a role in him opting into the option year of his contract over the summer. But some consistently improved play off the bench, combined with the fact that he’s now on an expiring contract, may result in some interest in him from other teams within the next month or two as the trade deadline approaches.