The Stephen Curry influence on D'Angelo Russell's leadership
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LOS ANGELES – Throughout Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell's ten-year NBA career he's played with some great players. His rookie season with the Lakers was Kobe Bryant's final year in the NBA. He played alongside Stephen Curry during his brief stint with the Golden State Warriors. And now, his second go-round with the Lakers, D'Angelo Russell has embraced a leadership role using tools he's picked up from those guys.
D'Angelo Russell may have been on the Warriors roster for only half a season before they traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but during his short time with Stephen Curry, he was able to pick things up that helped him develop his own leadership skills. Curry was limited to only five games that season, but that was enough to pick up valuable habits.
"I've just been around the block, crossed paths with a lot of players. Always pride myself in being a product of that. Crossed paths with Steph Curry, may have heard him say something and added it to my tool box and then used it in another way down the line," Russell said following the Lakers' win against the Raptors. "I found a way to use the same sentences and quotes I heard him say."
"I could say that for Draymond [Green], DWade, LeBron [James], Kobe [Bryant], all those guys," Russell continued. "So just being a product of that environment for sure."
D'Angelo Russell's shifting role for Lakers
Part of being a leader includes adapting to and adhering to what the coaching staff asks you to do. For Russell, that entailed a move to the bench. Following the Lakers' return from a five-game road trip, head coach JJ Redick opted to play Russell with the second unit while inserting Cam Reddish into the starting lineup.
The Lakers are 2-0 since the lineup change, but it's too small a sample size to infer anything concrete yet in terms of it being a success. But through the change, he's continued to embrace the leadership role the Lakers need from him.
Following team practice on Tuesday, Redick spoke about what he's seen from Russell as a leader so far.
"I've seen him be vocal. I've seen him use his natural charisma and energy to give our group some juice," Redick said. "It was a challenge I had for him from the first day he came to the gym in September. And I think he's been wonderful in terms of that."
Through the Lakers first ten games of the season, Russell has been averaging 12.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists with splits of 40.7 percent shooting from the field, 31.1 percent shooting from the three-point line and 90 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
His points per game and three-point percentage may be career lows, but he's embraced the role the Lakers have asked of him. The past two games, he's come off the bench and provided a lift for the team. He's dropped 18 points and 15 points, respectively.
He's given the second unit an added scoring boost that they did not have before. But his status for the Lakers' game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday could be up in the air. Russell missed practice on Tuesday due to illness.
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