Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell is a very good player, if not an All-Star caliber one, and he may have turned a corner last season when he set career highs in overall shooting percentage and 3-point accuracy.
However, he has been criticized and accused of being an offense-only player who is a sieve on the defensive end of the court. He was certainly exposed in that area in last season’s Western Conference finals. Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets lit him up like the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Plaza.
So far this preseason, Russell has made more of an effort on the defensive end. In fact, after L.A.’s last game on Sunday, he said he wants to be like Derrick White, the Boston Celtics guard who made last season’s All-Defensive second team.
When White found out about Russell’s comment about him, he was appreciative (h/t Lakers Daily).
Via The Athletic:
“I woke up to it and I was shocked, really,” White said. “Obviously D-Lo’s an All-Star, has done a lot of great things in this league, a highly talented player. So it’s cool to get recognized like that, especially by a guy who’s done so much in the league like he has.”
White says he’s willing to do the dirty work and the little things that add up to victory.
“It’s just competing, being in the right place,” White said. “Whether it shows up on the stat sheet or not, just doing the things that your team needs to do. And that’s just what I’m trying to do is whatever I can do to help this team win, whether that means scoring 20 points or getting two shots. Whatever it is to help us win, I’m willing to do that. So I think that’s what (Russell) was trying to say.”
If Russell’s newfound defensive hustle and desire become a permanent thing, he will be an even bigger part of a Lakers team that hopes to win its 18th NBA championship this season.