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Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell has tried to take on a leadership role with his younger teammates this season, as requested by coach JJ Redick. (Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press)
The play was set in motion more than an hour before tip off Friday night in Canada, Lakers guards D’Angelo Russell and Max Christie strategizing on one side of the team’s locker room as they got ready for the Raptors.
Through the first two weeks of the season, Christie had struggled.
“I’m just playing robotically,” he told people.
In his third season, now with a real role as the first player consistently off the bench, a lot of the momentum he had built over the summer and preseason was slipping away under a pile of missed shots and defensive uncertainty.
Russell saw a window to do a little something about it.
The two players talked about how when Christie checked in later that night, Russell would try to break down a defender off the dribble, allowing for Christie to quickly cut backdoor for a layup.
Read more: LeBron James and Lakers ‘take two steps forward’ in win over Raptors
It was prophetic.
On the first possession after Christie checked in midway through the first quarter, Russell dribbled with his left toward Christie in the corner. And just like they spoke about, Christie cut hard toward the rim. Russell fired a pinpoint bounce pass that found his teammate, who exploded toward the rim for the tough layup and a foul.
“Crazy, right?” Russell said with a huge smile after the game.
Christie finished the game with seven points, his best offensive output of the young season. He finished a plus-7, the first time the Lakers outscored their opponents during Christie’s minutes.
“I just find ways to make the game easier for our younger guys, try to simplify it, help them think less, help them be in a position where they can be the best in,” Russel said. “For me, I know Max is a confidence guy, so trying to instill confidence in him and keep him there no matter how the storm goes and adversity. Just keep that confidence high, you’ll be all right.”
For the Lakers, moments like this are crucial as the team tries to build trust with…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/lakers-dangelo-russell-helped-max-022437933.html
Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2024-11-04 02:24:00
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