D'Angelo Russell seemingly shades Lakers coach JJ Redick and LeBron James after playing "free" basketball with Nets
Nets' D'Angelo Russell fired shots at former coach JJ Redick and ex-co-star LeBron James on Tuesday. Russell had some of his best seasons with LA after returning to the franchise in 2023. He averaged 17.4 points and 6.1 rebounds, shooting 48.4%, including 41.4% from 3 in 17 games in his first year.
Russell improved his production in his second year, tallying 18.0 ppg and 6.3 apg, playing 76 games. He shot 45.6%, including 41.5% from 3. Russell established himself as a reliable presence at the point, at least in the regular season.
However, since Redick took over this past summer, Russell's production dropped significantly. In 29 games with just 10 starts, the veteran guard averaged a career-low 12.4 points and 4.7 assists, shooting 41.5%, including 33.3% from 3.
D'Angelo Russell's offensive role was diminished under JJ Redick, who seemingly demanded more from the guard as an off-ball creator and defender.
Redick also pushed the offense more through Austin Reaves and Anthony Davis, which may have hindered Russell's production, who thrives off a rhythm with the ball in his hands. Meanwhile, LeBron James stopped playing off the ball after the early stretch of the year, further impacting Russell's usage rate.
After returning to Brooklyn in December via trade, Russell has been slotted into his usual role as a primary creator and ball-handler. The guard had this to say after dropping 23 points and 10 assists in a 99-95 loss to the Knicks on Tuesday:
"I'll never take being able to play free basketball like this for granted again."
Russell revealed he didn't prepare for this style of play all summer but credited the Nets' training staff for keeping him in shape to ensure his body is ready for the workload he's carrying with Brooklyn as a lead point guard.
Comparing D'Angelo Russell's usage rate with Lakers to Nets
D'Angelo Russell's role has been different on the Lakers and Nets this season. The numbers support his assessment of both situations. According to the NBA's advanced metrics, Russell had a 21.2% usage rate in 29 games. With Brooklyn, Russel has seen a 3.9% jump at 25.1% across seven games.
While it's a small sample size, the Nets guard is expected to average this usage rate throughout his run with Brooklyn until the end of the year. Russell is their best playmaker. Ben Simmons is used in multiple roles, offering Russell more chances with the ball in his hands.
On the Lakers, there were multiple playmakers and ball-handlers. JJ Redick's schemes also promoted ball and player movement, and with Russell being one of the team's best shooters, the rookie coach wanted to play him off the ball.