When Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick moved D’Angelo Russell to the bench, there were some questions as to how the guard might respond to losing his starting spot.
Since coming back to the Lakers via trade, Russell has been the normal starting point guard but Redick moved him to a sixth man role to better balance the lineups. Redick went with Cam Reddish as Russell’s replacement and his inclusion has allowed LeBron James and Austin Reaves to thrive more as on-ball playmakers and scorers.
Meanwhile, Russell has had to deal with playing fewer minutes and not closing games due to his inconsistent defense.