On paper, former Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell looks like the perfect point guard fit for this Dallas Mavericks team. He may not be a star, but alongside No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, who seems like a perfect secondary ball-handler, Russell's role as a steadying force and occasional offensive spark looked like a no-brainer.
That hasn't been the case so far. Jason Kidd was insistent on starting zero guards to begin the year, and while injuries in the frontcourt have forced him to divert from that plan a bit, Russell's role on this team still seems to be fluctuating daily.
He's played under 20 minutes in each of the past three games, and is stuck in the purgatory of not getting minutes because he's not playing well, but also not getting much of a chance to play well because he's not getting very many minutes. It's a Catch-22, the worst catch there is.
Currently, Russell is averaging 10.9 points per game and shooting just 26.7% from 3-point range. It's not his fault the Mavericks are a mess (truly, D'Angelo Russell plays no part in the larger problems the Mavs face), but he's not helping the here-and-now roster much, that's for sure. It also can't be easy to be a new guy on a team that is going through this much strife, so the former Laker deserves some more time before we make final declarations.
D'Angelo Russell's streakiness is on display with the Mavericks
I don't need to tell Lakers fans that D'Angelo Russell is incredibly streaky. But I'll tell you anyway; D'Angelo Russell is incredibly streaky. When that streakiness is streaking the wrong way to start a season, it's extra disappointing. That's what the Mavs are dealing with right now.
I'm confident that Russell will soon have a few games in which he turns into prime Magic Johnson, because that's sort of what he does. Alas, right now, all Mavericks fans have seen of Russell is the frustrating version.
Lakers fans will always have a soft spot for D-Lo (I think). So to see him struggle out of the gates in his newest opportunity doesn't bring this fan base any joy — but it also won't surprise many fans who know about Russell's tendency to disappear for a few weeks at a time, only to emerge at the most random times possible.
When Kyrie Irving comes back, D-Lo should be able to assume backup point guard duties; if that's his role, he should be able to play it at a very high level. But his first impression as a piece of the Mavs puzzle has not been particularly positive. But the Mavericks puzzle is currently a 10,000-piece, abstract jigsaw puzzle with no picture on the box, so no one's really thriving.