Medina: Russell starting not decided

Medina: Russell starting not decided

Postby KobeMVP888 » Mon Oct 26, 2015 7:49 pm

Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell not assured of starting spot

by Mark Medina, insidesocal.com


Image

The Lakers could not resist taking him with their No. 2 pick. Lakers coach Byron Scott has compared his on-court presence to Magic Johnson and Chris Paul. The Lakers believe he could become the franchise’s next cornerstone.

But amid all that preseason hype, rookie point guard D’Angelo Russell enters the Lakers’ season opener against Minnesota on Wednesday at Staples Center without any assurances he will start.

“I don’t know that yet,” Scott said, smiling. “Still mulling over it.”

Scott has already decided that Kobe Bryant, Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and Roy Hibbert will start. But with Russell averaging 6.9 points on only 39.6 percent shooting, 3.3 assists and 1.28 turnovers in eight exhibition games, Scott argued that Russell is still “getting a grasp for everything going on.”

Russell admitted, “I have no idea” if he will start as he did in six of the Lakers’ eight exhibition games. But Russell has remained publicly deferential toward Scott about that. Instead, Russell had sounded frustrated about something else.

Russell recently told Los Angeles News Group, “I just want to figure out my role” partly because Scott had not communicated that to him. When informed of Russell’s comments, Scott responded, “That’s a young guy that doesn’t know what the hell is going on in the NBA right now.” But that sparked Scott to talk with Russell on Sunday to provide more clarity.

“He knows it pretty clearly right now,” Scott said. “I think that’s why he practiced the way he practiced the last couple of days.”

What did Scott tell Russell?

“Just really focus on playing hard all the time, defend and rebound,” Russell said. “I told him I thought my role was to facilitate and be a playmaker. He said, ‘That’s what you’re going to do naturally, so I’m not going to label you with that.’ But he was saying if I do all those other things, that will be easier with playmaking and decision making.”

Russell said it will also become easier after Scott outlined those expectations.

“Once you know your role, it make everything easy,” Russell said. “Him telling me that and other coaches preaching that everybody knows their role, it puts everybody on the same page.”

Russell showed that at the end of Monday’s practice where he made the game-winning jumper in a full-court scrimmage. But Russell rarely has he shown those images for the rest of training camp. Though he cracked double digits in three exhibition games, Russell shot below 50 percent in four preseason contests. Though he recorded 11 assists against an Israeli professional team, Russell logged zero assists against Portland. Though Russell impressed the Lakers with his court presence and passing, he admittedly has felt uncomfortable in Scott’s Princeton-based offense.

He went through that process while matching up with Sacramento’s Rajon Rondo, Portland’s Damian Lillard and Golden State’s Stephen Curry.

“I feel like it was great,” Russell said. “I feel like this is a learning experience for me every day. I feel like I’m getting better every day with an opportunity to go against these guys and guard these guys. You don’t get to to do that at every level. Its new to me so I’m taking advantage of it for every practice.”

That process will continue this week when Russell will have to defend Minnesota’s Ricky Rubio and Sacrmento’s Rondo again.

“I’ll see a new face every day,” Russell said. “That first go around, I’ll see these new faces and I might be starstuck and look at it as I’ve been watching these guys for a while now. I don’t really know how to approach it until I get on the floor. So I cant give you an answer.”

Russell has relied on a key friend and an upcoming opponent for some help. Ever since the two declared for the NBA draft, Minnesota center Karl Anthony-Towns and Russell bonded over the endless pre-draft workouts and speculation about their selection order. Russell called Towns a “great dude” and “well deserving” of becoming the No. 1 pick of the 2015 NBA Draft. Russell said the two have since talked “daily” along with Suns shooting guard Devin Booker.

“You get better feedback when you have someone going through exactly what you’re going through,” Russell said. “Positive, negative whatever it is, you hear from a different perspective.”

Now that he has heard Scott’s perspective, Russell believes he will become more active on defense and mark whoever is handling the ball.

“When you know your role, it makes everything easier,” Russell said. “I’m going to those games and just playing. I try to better myself and the team. It should be better.”

But whether that is enough to become the Lakers’ starting point guard right away remains to be seen.

“At this level, you have to make due with whatever minutes you get,” Russell said. “It’s about who coach feels like is the right group. I want to be a part of that.”


http://www.insidesocal.com/lakers/2015/ ... ting-spot/
I LOVE BASKETBALL! GO LAKERS! #18 COMIN' UP STRONG!!! TOO EASY, JUST WAAAAY TOO EASY!!!!! NEXT! :rollyellow:
User avatar
KobeMVP888
 
Posts: 3250
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 9:16 pm
Has thanked: 406 times
Been thanked: 548 times

Re: Medina: Russell starting not decided

Postby KobeMVP888 » Mon Oct 26, 2015 9:00 pm

I LOVE BASKETBALL! GO LAKERS! #18 COMIN' UP STRONG!!! TOO EASY, JUST WAAAAY TOO EASY!!!!! NEXT! :rollyellow:
User avatar
KobeMVP888
 
Posts: 3250
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 9:16 pm
Has thanked: 406 times
Been thanked: 548 times

Re: Medina: Russell starting not decided

Postby lakerevolution » Mon Oct 26, 2015 9:54 pm

He'll start. You don't bench your top pick.
User avatar
lakerevolution
 
Posts: 3028
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 9:36 pm
Has thanked: 217 times
Been thanked: 454 times

Re: Medina: Russell starting not decided

Postby KobeMVP888 » Tue Oct 27, 2015 2:19 am

lakerevolution wrote:He'll start. You don't bench your top pick.


We'll see. If it's potentially detrimental to his growth, you do. He's only 19. I trust Byron Scott with young guards.
I LOVE BASKETBALL! GO LAKERS! #18 COMIN' UP STRONG!!! TOO EASY, JUST WAAAAY TOO EASY!!!!! NEXT! :rollyellow:
User avatar
KobeMVP888
 
Posts: 3250
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 9:16 pm
Has thanked: 406 times
Been thanked: 548 times

Re: Medina: Russell starting not decided

Postby Julius Russell » Tue Oct 27, 2015 2:27 am

Good track record for sure.
Julius Russell
 
Posts: 572
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 9:52 pm
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 70 times

Re: Medina: Russell starting not decided

Postby lakerevolution » Wed Oct 28, 2015 7:47 am

Do you trust Huertas?
User avatar
lakerevolution
 
Posts: 3028
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 9:36 pm
Has thanked: 217 times
Been thanked: 454 times

Re: Medina: Russell starting not decided

Postby KobeMVP888 » Wed Oct 28, 2015 11:18 am

lakerevolution wrote:Do you trust Huertas?


He's 32, so who cares. I just want D'Angelo Russell to develop properly. No more, no less.
I LOVE BASKETBALL! GO LAKERS! #18 COMIN' UP STRONG!!! TOO EASY, JUST WAAAAY TOO EASY!!!!! NEXT! :rollyellow:
User avatar
KobeMVP888
 
Posts: 3250
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 9:16 pm
Has thanked: 406 times
Been thanked: 548 times

Re: Medina: Russell starting not decided

Postby Julius Russell » Wed Oct 28, 2015 11:49 am

I care...

Anyway Russell is starting via Lakers
Julius Russell
 
Posts: 572
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 9:52 pm
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 70 times


Return to LakerTalk



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 40 guests

cron