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They say defense wins championships, so Los Angeles Lakers star D’Angelo Russell has been working on his defense this offseason in hopes of helping the Purple and Gold win an NBA title.
Russell’s work appears to have paid off, too, as his teammates are praising him for his commitment to improving his defense, which is an aspect of his game that has lacked in recent years.
Austin Reaves said of Russell on Friday, per Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times:
“It’s just him taking responsibility and wanting to become a better all-around player. Obviously offense is … you’re never going to worry with him. To me, he’s one of the most skilled guys, plays with great pace. Defensively, he does the right things. He’s in the right positions. And obviously in training camp so far, I think you’ve seen him take another step forward in that aspect and we have nothing but faith and confidence in him in what he’s doing on both ends.”
“Oh yeah, he’s more aggressive on the defensive side, for sure,” Rui Hachimura added. “He’s more focused on the defense. We know he got offense. He’s now more vocal, which helps a lot. I like when the point guard, the leader is vocal. It’s easier for me to kind of get into the game. He’s always trying to communicate with the other guys.”
Russell’s offensive production hasn’t ever been much of an issue, and he was a solid contributor for the Lakers last season after coming over in a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In 17 games with the Lakers, he averaged 17.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists while shooting 48.4 percent from the floor and 41.4 percent from deep. In 16 playoff games, he averaged 13.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting 42.6 percent from the floor and 31.0 percent from beyond the arc.
However, Russell was eventually benched in the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets because Dennis Schröder could play better defense. After being swept by Denver, it was clear to Russell that he needed to improve his defensive skillset.
“Yeah, I mean, last year they found a way to get me off the floor by not playing defense, I guess,” Russell told reporters Thursday. “So, [I] try to be a reason to eliminate that. Not give them a reason to not have me on the floor. Try to be as dangerous as I can on offense and try not to be a liability on defense. So, that’s what I’m working on. I’m trying to do it now before the season so I continue to practice those good habits.”
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“The group that we got has been fun. A lot of good guys out there that I have fun playing with and just enjoying watching them do well, and when it comes my way I feel the same energy back, so I like where we’re at as a team.” 😎 pic.twitter.com/vW0E14btdu
Seeing as how his teammates believe he has stepped up his defensive game, Russell figures to be an even more important asset to the Lakers this season.
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