D’Angelo Russell opened the 2024-25 season as a starter under Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick, though was later benched to better balance out the starters and bench.
Russell is able to act as a secondary playmaker and scorer, though his defense leaves much to be desired. Recently, Redick inserted Max Christie into the starting lineup because he wanted a defensive-minded player who doesn’t need the ball in his hands to thrive.
With the move to Christie, it appears that Russell will continue to serve a sixth-man role for the team and he acknowledged that he’s simply rolling with what the coaching staff believes is best.