Russell hoping to become ‘D’-Angelo
MINNEAPOLIS — D’Angelo Russell hasn’t been living in a cave or under a rock. He’s heard the critiques and the criticisms about his lack of hustle and lackadaisical defense.
The word hasn’t been good. And so far this season, he’s been working to make sure it’s not accurate.
“It’s always something people are going to say about your game. People say defense. I hear that more than anything,” said Russell, who leads the Nets against the Timberwolves on Monday. “That’s something I can control, my effort, bring it every night and competing, so trying to take pride in that.”
Both Russell’s effort and his defense came under fire while he was with the Lakers, and both were up and down during his first season in Brooklyn. But with the Nets coaches prodding him, the young guard has taken strides in both areas.
“It’s a team focus. We’re on him,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “As a staff, we all kind of think he [can score]. The offense is going to come for him. I just think he’s a talented offensive player, and that’ll just come. That comes naturally to him. The defense is [improving]. He’s shifting his focus there and it’s helping him.”
So is his comfort with the Nets. Russell has finally had the same head coach in consecutive seasons for the first time since high school (Montverde’s Kevin Boyle). And the results are becoming clear on the court.
Russell leads Brooklyn in assists (5.1) and is second in scoring (15.7) and 3-pointers (28). Over his past four games, he’s upped that production to 17.8 points per game, 4.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds and just 0.75 turnovers, for a team-high 16.9 player impact estimate.
Arguably more important has been his defense.
“His maturity, his consistency, that’s what we’re starting to see,” Atkinson said. “That’s the challenge for him. It’s not on-again, off-again. We need more on from him, and I think he’s starting to get over that hurdle. He looked really good physically, too, against Denver. He really got after it.”
Russell is averaging 1.8 steals over his past four. And over that span, his defensive rating has been a solid 101.9. For perspective, his 110.9 defensive rating last season was 481st out of 527 players, 10th-worst among all guards who played at least half their team’s games.
“It takes you awhile to figure out,” Atkinson said. “To figure out the league, figure out your routine, figure out your habits. It takes time, and I think it’s just more of a maturity thing.
“I do think the physical part plays a role in that, and he worked his tail off this offseason, and I think that’s showing. But he’s still, what, 22, 23 years old? ... D’Angelo still hasn’t reached that prime age yet. But he’s coming along.”