Lakers: Minutes Key for D’Angelo Russell’s Development
Following yet another loss in Miami, Byron Scott and company find themselves at 1-6 and face a number of pressing questions about their roster, specifically surrounding D’Angelo Russell.
The Lakers were outplayed in nearly every facet of the game on Monday night, which is nothing new, but what’s more troublesome is the continued lack of production from second-overall pick D’Angelo Russell. With the Lakers down big in the fourth quarter, Russell was nowhere to be seen, finishing with four points, four rebounds and four assists in just 21 minutes.
While Russell’s lack of shooting touch has certainly been a concern, his paltry numbers have more to do with his role, or lack thereof, in Scott’s offense, than his abilities as an NBA point guard. Russell is playing the third-fewest minutes of any rookie starter this season, and that includes Utah Jazz guard Raul Neto who was first drafted in 2013 before opting to play overseas.
Furthermore, Russell has a usage percentage of just 18.8, meaning that when he does play, he’s not prominently featured in the offense. He trails rookies such as Luis Montero, Terry Rozier and Norman Powell in that category.
| Player | TM | AGE | GP | MIN | USG% | AST% | AST/TO | TO Ratio | eFG% | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pat Connaughton | POR | 22 | 2 | 3 | 30.7 | 0 | 0 | 20.5 | 50 | |||
| Emmanuel Mudiay | DEN | 19 | 7 | 30 | 27.8 | 28.9 | 1.15 | 19.1 | 38.3 | |||
| Delon Wright | TOR | 23 | 2 | 3 | 23.3 | 0 | 0 | 33.3 | 0 | |||
| Terry Rozier | BOS | 21 | 4 | 7 | 23.2 | 16.7 | 1.5 | 10 | 16.7 | |||
| Norman Powell | TOR | 22 | 4 | 3 | 23.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14.3 | |||
| Luis Montero | POR | 22 | 2 | 3 | 21.6 | 0 | 0 | 33.3 | 75 | |||
| Devin Booker | PHX | 19 | 4 | 10 | 19.8 | 4.2 | 0.5 | 10.9 | 64.3 | |||
| Justin Anderson | DAL | 21 | 6 | 8 | 19.5 | 7.1 | 0.67 | 12.6 | 50 | |||
| Cameron Payne | OKC | 21 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 25 | |||
| D’Angelo Russell | LAL | 19 | 7 | 24 | 18.8 | 18 | 1.64 | 11.7 | 45.2 | |||
| Mario Hezonja | ORL | 20 | 8 | 15 | 18.5 | 7.7 | 0.5 | 20.7 | 43.6 | |||
| Tyus Jones | MIN | 19 | 1 | 13 | 17.7 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Rashad Vaughn | MIL | 19 | 5 | 8 | 17.6 | 0 | 0 | 12.5 | 53.6 | |||
| Jerian Grant | NYK | 23 | 8 | 22 | 16.5 | 27.8 | 2.91 | 11.3 | 41.1 |
However, despite the grim picture painted by Lakers fans, Russell’s production has not been a disaster. Far from it. Per 36 minutes, Russell is averaging a respectable 12.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. In limited action on a Lakers’ team that has shown few signs of competence, these numbers should not be overlooked.
The way things have unfolded thus far, there’s no rational reason to limit the Ohio State standout as Scott has through seven games. Russell’s time spent on the bench reaps zero benefit for the Lakers now and in the long-term. And to boot, the talented point guard has seen rookie after rookie play meaningful minutes down the stretch while he helplessly watches from the sidelines.
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Monday night, Russell spectated as Heat rookie Justice Winslow played the final 18 minutes and helped blow the game wide open.
On Sunday, Russell was yanked for Lou Williams with just over a minute remaining and the Lakers down by a single possession. Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis stayed on the floor and hit two free throws to put the game out of reach.
Last Tuesday, Russell was playing toe-to-toe with fellow rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, only to be pulled for good with 5:24 left in the third quarter and the Lakers down by just four. Mudiay would go on to rack up seven more points and three more assists as the Nuggets pulled away.
When asked why Russell didn’t play any of the fourth quarter versus the Nuggets, Scott cited Williams:
Byron on Russell not playing late: “He’ll have plenty of those opportunities…If Lou wasn’t playing (so well) I woulda put him back in”
— Bill Oram (@billoram) November 4, 2015
Fair enough. But what about Monday night? Williams was in the midst of his worst performance of this young season, shooting just 3 for 11 yet remained in the game deep into the fourth quarter when the game was out of hand.
Scott’s reasoning?
Byron Scott said he didn’t really consider bringing D’Angelo Russell back in at the end of the game, Miami had too big of a lead.
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) November 11, 2015
Unfortunately, that reasoning doesn’t make much sense considering a blowout loss is the perfect time to give an inexperienced rookie some much need development. And to add to the confusion, Scott did throw rookies out there late in the fourth quarter, but none of them were named D’Angelo Russell.
Scott’s inexplicable tendency to sit Russell late in games is not only a hindrance to his development, it’s a blow to his confidence as well. Despite saying all the right things, Russell is clearly frustrated by his lack of playing time down the stretch and his role in Scott’s offense has often been in doubt.
This season, the Lakers have admittedly little to play for. With just one win in seven games, a lottery pick seems significantly more likely than a playoff birth but with their top-3 protected pick going to the Philadelphia 76ers, neither are likely scenarios.
So why not give the young 19-year-old kid the reigns and see what happens? Rookie point guards are often a long term investment and there’s nothing preventing Russell from developing into a terrific NBA player, as long as Scott gives him the opportunity.
Next: This Lakers Team Should Be More Entertaining Than It Is
What do you think about Scott’s continued reluctance to play Russell late game? Let us know in the comments below.