There was a time very recently when Los Angeles Lakers fans were down on starting guard D’Angelo Russell. He went through a brutal slump in December, and it appeared that perhaps the hot shooting he displayed last season was nothing more than a happy aberration.
Fans have criticized him for occasionally disappearing in crunch time and for not stepping up in big games.
He lost his starting job, but once he regained it in mid-January, he heated up. He has remained hot for almost the entire time since, and it has benefited a Lakers team that has badly needed wins in bunches to bolster its chances of making the playoffs.
He erupted for 44 points, including nine 3-pointers and the game-winning shot on Friday versus the Milwaukee Bucks. Afterward, he seemed to refer to the mental toughness that allowed him to withstand his cold streak and come out of it in one piece.
“Public humiliation has molded me into the killer that y'all see today. I never lack confidence, I never fear confrontation, I want all the smoke. I want to talk about it.”
D’Angelo Russell after dropping 44 points in a Lakers win over the Bucks 😮💨pic.twitter.com/3AyAL7znaS
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 9, 2024
In his last 25 games, Russell is averaging 22.8 points and 6.4 assists a game while shooting a scorching 45.8% from 3-point range. For the season, he’s shooting 47.2% overall and 42.4% from downtown, both of which are career-highs.
LeBron James sat out Friday’s game, which meant Russell needed to step up his game and show tremendous leadership. That’s exactly what he did — and then some.