D’Angelo Russell‘s coach didn’t seem to be able to help him as he struggled against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.
The Lakers’ difficulties with the Denver Nuggets are widely known. They had suffered eight straight losses, including a sweeping of the Lakers by the eventual NBA champions in the 2023 Western Conference Finals.
D’Angelo Russell played horribly during that series, averaging 6.3 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.0 rebounds per game. In an effort to get at least one game against the Nuggets, Darvin Ham benched him in the series finale due to his poor performances.
The last thing that Lakers supporters were thinking about after the sweep was how Russell was being affected by his benching and his position on the club. But it was evident that there was a lot of room for improvement in the chemistry between Russell and Darvin Ham.
Russell, a guard with the Lakers, talked extensively about his disagreement with the Lakers head coach throughout the series in an ESPN piece published on Wednesday. Russell also talked about how difficult things were for him because of the relationship between Dennis Schroder and Ham.
“His (Dennis Schroder) relationship with Darvin is the reason I couldn’t have a relationship with Darvin,” Russell said.
“When I was struggling, I would’ve been able to come to the coach and say, ‘Bro, this is what we should do. Like, I can help you.’ Instead, there was no dialogue. … I just accepted it.
“And we got swept and I’m here and he’s not. And I like our chances.”
Trouble between D’Angelo Russell and Darvin Ham ?
The tale of coaches and players falling out dates back to ancient times. What is remarkable about this interview, though, is that it is uncommon for a player to say this while continuing to play for that coach and holding a starting position on that club.
Russell is consistently circumspect in both his language and his portrayals of events. Since he is adamant about “controlling the narrative,” it is significant that he says this now.
Is everything going so well right now that he doesn’t mind thinking back on a difficult time in the past? Or is this a D’Angelo Russell moment of impulsiveness?
At his worst, his defense renders him unplayable and he plays terrible offense. Even though you don’t like Ham and are disappointed that he got along better with Dennis, nobody was clamoring for more Russell minutes while they were watching the Western Conference Finals.
Russell is the best version of himself at the moment. He claimed to have improved as a defender since training camp, and he has. Despite his lackluster play, he puts out a decent effort, and when you combine that with his amazing 3-point shooting and his rapport with Anthony Davis and LeBron James, he is unquestionably the third-best player on this team.
The disclosure of this story is startling, but ideally it will be forgotten.
