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Dave McMenamin, ESPN editor
LOS ANGELES — For the second straight season, D’Angelo Russell was in the Lakers’ starting lineup on opening night, only to be moved to the bench in response to a team struggling with an early losing streak .
Only this time, after Friday’s 116-106 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, Russell seemed completely at peace with the decision.
“I just wanted to win,” Russell said after scoring 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting with three assists to spare. “So whatever it is, change of plans, whatever it is, whatever coach needs, try to get the win and be a part of it.”
Cam Reddish taking Russell’s place marked the first strategic starter adjustment made by first-year coach JJ Redick this season.
Redick did not hold an open competition for starters in training camp, naming LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura and Russell as his starting five before the start of the preseason, citing their 18-year record -6 together in 2023-24.
Russell only found his footing with that starting five, however, after losing his job in late December with Los Angeles amid a 1-5 skid.
Former Lakers coach Darvin Ham, with whom Russell sometimes struggled to connect, kept him on the second unit until mid-January.
“I left all that, all my baggage at the door this summer once we changed coaches and new staff came in,” Russell said of the difference in his digestion of Redick’s decision . “I was determined to do whatever it took. This is what you see now.
The adjustment came after Los Angeles stumbled on its recent road trip, going 1-4, ending in a 131-114 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies when Redick benched Russell midway through the third quarter and didn’t. He only played 22 minutes in total, a season low.
Before Redick called a timeout to replace Russell out of the game in Memphis, the point guard struggled on both ends through a handful of possessions and the game’s broadcast camera caught the Lakers coach pounding his chair in frustration.
“Basketball is, to me, an emotional game,” Redick said before Friday’s game when asked about the clip of his outburst. “I’m a competitive person, I’m a passionate person. Sometimes… for a brief period of time, you lose control of this emotion. This isn’t the first time this has happened, I’ll be honest with you. This may be the first time something like this has happened on Twitter, but it’s going to happen again. It could happen in two hours. It’s just reality.
Redick had nothing but praise for Russell after Friday’s win improved the Lakers’ home record to 4-0.
“We asked him to do things. He accepted the role,” Redick said. “He talked to me all the time. He has a very strong desire to win and he has a very strong desire to be coached. And our level of communication from June 20 to today has been nothing short of open, honest and transparent. And I suspect it will continue to be so.
Beyond the defensive lift Reddish was able to provide to Philadelphia’s Paul George, helping him hold down just nine points on 4-for-13 shooting, Russell instilled some offense into Los’s bench unit. Angeles who entered the night with the lowest scoring average in the league.
“Big shot for us off the bench,” Redick said after Russell tied the highest-scoring game of any Lakers player off the bench during their 5-4 start. “A really effective evening for him. And he just played really good basketball.
Beyond Russell’s impact, Davis’ 31 points, nine rebounds and four blocks in his return from a game absence due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot; Triple-double for James with 21 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds; and Austin Reaves’ 20 points and seven assists got the Lakers back on track.
Looking ahead, Redick stressed that he’s still tinkering to find the right combination with his lineups.
“I think for the balance of the group and for the balance of roles, it seemed like the right thing to do at this time,” Redick said. “But I just want to be clear, this is all very fluid.”
And Russell vowed to go with the flow.
“My approach has been to be professional from day one,” he said. “And I commit to that by not playing, coming off the bench, whatever it is. I am without ego. So I just want to win.