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Dave McMenamin, ESPN Staff Writer
LOS ANGELES — For the second straight season, D’Angelo Russell was in the Lakers’ starting unit on opening night only to be moved to the bench in response to the team grappling with an early losing spell.
Only this time, after Friday’s 116-106 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Russell sounded completely at peace with the move.
“I just wanted to win,” Russell said after scoring 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting with three assists as a reserve. “So whatever it took, change of plans, whatever it is, whatever Coach needs, try to get the win and be a part of that.”
Cam Reddish taking Russell’s place marked the first strategic adjustment to the starters made by first-year coach JJ Redick this season.
Redick did not hold an open competition for the starters in training camp, naming LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura and Russell as his first five before the preseason began, citing their 18-6 record together in 2023-24.
Russell only found his place with that starting five, however, after losing his job in late December with L.A. in the midst of a 1-5 skid.
Former Lakers coach Darvin Ham, whom Russell struggled to connect with at times, kept him with the second unit until mid-January.
“I left all that, all my baggage at the door this summer once we changed coaches and new staff came in,” Russell said of the difference in his digesting Redick’s decision. “I was committed to whatever it takes. That’s what y’all see now.”
The adjustment came after L.A. stumbled on its recent road trip, going 1-4, ending with a 131-114 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies when Redick benched Russell midway through the third quarter and played him just 22 minutes total, a season low.
Before Redick called timeout to sub Russell out of the game in Memphis, the point guard struggled on both ends through a handful of possessions and the game broadcast camera caught the Lakers’ coach pounding his chair in frustration.
“Basketball is, to me, an emotional game,” Redick said before Friday’s game when asked about the clip of his outburst. “I’m a competitive person, I’m a passionate person. Sometimes … for a brief period of time, you lose control of that emotion. It’s not the first time that it’s happened, I’ll be honest with you. Maybe it’s the first time that something like that was over Twitter, but it’s going to happen again. It may happen two hours from now. That’s just the reality.”
Redick had nothing but praise for Russell after Friday’s win lifted the Lakers’ home record to 4-0.
“We’ve asked him to do things. He’s been accepting of the role,” Redick said. “He has talked with me all the time. He has a really strong desire to win, and he has a really strong desire to be coached. And our communication level from June 20th to today has been nothing but open, honest and transparent. And I would assume it will continue to be.”
Beyond the defensive lift that Reddish was able to provide on Philadelphia’s Paul George, helping to hold him to just nine points on 4-for-13 shooting, Russell infused some offense to L.A.’s bench unit that came into the night with the lowest scoring average in the league.
“Big-time pop for us off the bench,” Redick said after Russell tied the highest-scoring game by any Lakers player off the bench through their 5-4 start. “A really efficient night for him. And he just played really good basketball.”
Beyond Russell’s impact, Davis’ 31 points, nine rebounds and four blocks in his return from a one-game absence because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot; James’ 21-point, 13-assist, 12-rebound triple-double; and Austin Reaves’ 20 points and seven assists got the Lakers back on track.
Moving forward, Redick stressed that he is still tinkering to find the right mix with his lineups.
“I think the balance of the group and for the balance of roles, this felt like the right thing to do right now,” Redick said. “But I just want to be clear, this is all very fluid.”
And Russell vowed to go with the flow.
“My approach has been to be professional from day one,” he said. “And I’m committed to it through not playing, through coming off the bench, through whatever it may be. I’m egoless. So, I just want to win.”
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