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Lakers: D’Angelo Russell’s Confidence an Encouraging Sign

By Advith Sarikonda

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In spite of his mishaps, D’Angelo Russell’s confidence is a welcomed sign for a franchise that needs all that it can get

Los Angeles Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell is not the perfect player. He occasionally struggles to understand defensive schemes, shoots at an inconsistent rate, and makes some flat-out boneheaded plays.

The struggles began at the onset as the rookie floundered mightily during Summer League, often blending in with the tournament’s subpar competition instead of separating himself from it. This second-rate play carried over into the regular season, as Russell failed to earn the trust of his head coach and accordingly found himself coming off the bench just twenty games into his young career.

Meanwhile, fellow lottery picks began to play well, making the Lakers’ decision to draft the Ohio State product look all the more erroneous. New York Knicks power forward Kristaps Porzingis made a name for himself as a premier young talent, making regular appearances on highlight reels for his vicious putback dunks and for his smooth perimeter stroke.

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Likewise, Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor corroborated the potency of his interior scoring ability, racking up points in a way that drew parallels to some of the NBA’s all-time great post players. Russell, whom the Lakers drafted ahead of the two aforementioned rookies, struggled to look competent and worthy of his lofty No. 2-overall selection.

And it wasn’t just his poor numbers or the simultaneous success of his peers that garnered concern. All of the fears about his game in college appeared to actualize. Instead of attacking the rim, Russell settled for contested mid-range jumpers. Instead of showing signs of an explosive first step, he looked slow. Instead of being the great defender that he’d promised, Russell looked lost at times on that end of the floor.

Nothing about him seemed right. Indeed, everything about his game – including his perceived strengths – was off. Russell’s prized passing ability was nowhere to be found, and his velvety jumper betrayed him.

Then we were reminded of his youth and, perhaps most importantly, of his precocious confidence.

In a wide-ranging interview with Lakers sideline reporter Mike Trudell conducted in the early portion of the season, Russell commented on his struggles and spoke of the criticism he had received as a result. Ultimately, the rookies stated that he’d rather be a late-bloomer as he thrives off of the criticism and people calling him a “bust.” Moreover, Russell said he was willing to put in the work to succeed in the NBA.

Success never comes easy, and Russell quelled some fears about his game by reminding fans that it is achieved through a culmination of hard work and opportunity—both of which take time to actualize.

To the pleasant surprise of the Lakers front office, Russell began to look like a prophet. Eventually, D-Lo began to garner his own highlight reels, notably embarking on an eight-game stretch in March that saw him score at last 20 points in seven outings, including a 39-point outburst against the Brooklyn Nets.

But as soon as things started to look promising, Russell encountered another setback in a career that has yet to even last the entirety of a single season. After an alleged video of him videotaping teammate Nick Young admitting to cheating on his fiancé emerged, Russell’s career with the franchise appeared to be in jeopardy. The incident drew more and more attention until it turned into a national storyline. Athletes from other sports ostracized D’Angelo while TV personalities like Raja Bell deemed it was necessary for the Lakers to trade him. 

Again, in the midst of adversity, Russell’s confidence came to light.

An already tumultuous rookie campaign became even more turbulent as Russell’s blatant mistake permeated throughout the Internet.

Number one trending topic in the country. The butt of copious jokes. The subject of widespread vitriol.

Yet, in the middle of everything, a familiar pattern began to surface. Again, in the midst of adversity, Russell’s confidence came to light.

During the very night in which Russell addressed the media for the first time regarding the leaked video incident, he would go on to carry the Lakers in overtime in a win against a playoff caliber Miami Heat squad. Hours after releasing his emotions to a crowded room of journalists and cameramen and getting booed by his home fans, Russell had the confidence to take 19 shots, one of which was a momentum-turning three as the shot clock expired.

This was the D’Angelo Russell that the Lakers saw when they chose to draft him. While his actions were inexcusable and indubitably immature, his play on the basketball court speaks to his alpha-male personality: the audacity to lead the team in shots while being detested by virtually everybody is a characteristic reserved for the NBA’s best.

Though he has a long way to go in order to reach his full potential, Russell has shown the ability to take over. Indeed, D’Angelo has quietly emerged as one of only two 19-year0old rookies in NBA history to average 16 points, four rebounds, and four assists, along with LeBron James, per a February article written by Justin Russo of The Beat. The fact that Russell and LeBron are two of the only players in NBA history to accomplish such a feat is an encouraging sign.

His noteworthy play has given the youngster every right to keep his head up in an otherwise disastrous season for the Lakers. When asked by the assembled media about his feelings following the fallout of the Nick Young video, Russell responded as one would expect:

Shaquille O’Neal, despite doing a parody of Russell’s incident on TNT , also testified to Russell’s alpha personality during a halftime show of a Lakers game earlier in the season. Shaq alluded that Russell is not OK with taking a backseat to Lakers legend Kobe Bryant amidst the former’s farewell tour, citing that Russell is “wired like us.” Once a dominant big man who had an alpha-male personality himself, O’Neal acknowledges the presence of a similar persona in Russell.

And this is the reason why a franchise so deep in the abyss put all of their eggs in the basket of a relatively raw prospect from Ohio State. No, he’s not the most physically imposing player. Nor is he the quickest, or the fastest. But D’Angelo Russell is undeniably an intelligent, self-assured youngster who has flashed glimpses of brilliance.

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If his history of success following hardship is any indication, he will turn into the star that the Lakers drafted him to be. Not everybody can prosper in the lights of Los Angeles. But what the Lakers currently have is a player who at least has shown he has the mentality so that he can.

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