LOS ANGELES – For much of the season, Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard D’Angelo Russell has played on a short leash.
He has been pulled from several games for what seemed like minor mistakes common among young players, particularly point guards with gifted court vision. He has often spent the fourth quarters on the bench, or was taken out when some games were close late. And, in one instance, he was benched for "trying to take over a game," as Lakers coach Byron Scott later explained.
All in all, Russell, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft, hasn’t had too much freedom – and he had even less after being moved to the bench after starting the team’s first 20 games.