D’Angelo Russell, Says He ‘Was Held Back’ With Timberwolves, The Minnesota Timberwolves squad that D’Angelo Russell began the season with is watching from home while he competes for a title in front of the cameras as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
(D’Angelo Russell, Says He ‘Was Held Back’ With Timberwolves)
(D’Angelo Russell, Says He ‘Was Held Back’ With Timberwolves)And he believes he is in a much better position in part because of the limitations in place with the Timberwolves.
“I felt like I was held back there, honestly,” Russell said, per Sam Amick of The Athletic. “I just kind of had to be the third option. Some nights, I was a little more aggressive and was kind of being held back. So to be in a position now where I can kind of thrive and be aggressive and it gets guys going, and where the team reflects off of anybody with that type of energy, it’s fun.”
It should be noted Russell is a third option on this Lakers team as well since he is playing with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But being the third option with James in particular is much different than being the third option to Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns.
James is one of the best passers in NBA history, is a willing facilitator when double teams come his way and he attracts help on drives to the lane.
Never was that clearer than Saturday’s 127-97 blowout win over the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series. Russell had the hot hand in the early going as he scored Los Angeles’ first 11 points, so the King made a point of keeping the ball moving until it found the guard. (D’Angelo Russell, Says He ‘Was Held Back’ With Timberwolves)
In fact, James didn’t attempt a single field goal in the first quarter as the Lakers rode Russell’s momentum to an 11-4 start.
And, like the all-time great he is, he eventually understood where in the flow of the game it was time to assert himself as a scorer and finished with 21 points on an efficient 6-of-11 shooting.
Edwards is a star in the making for Minnesota, but he can’t measure up to James when it comes to reading the entire game and putting his teammates in the best position to succeed. The Timberwolves are also in a position where the best thing for the franchise long-term is the 21-year-old Edwards taking strides to reach his potential. (D’Angelo Russell, Says He ‘Was Held Back’ With Timberwolves)
That means keeping the ball in his hands as he looks for shots, and Russell clearly felt like he was being limited in such a scenario.
He even played in scrimmage games after practices with some of the Timberwolves who weren’t getting as much playing time and explained why that was the case to Amick:
“Yeah, so I would play in that because I felt that my confidence was being taken away with the style that I was playing in. I’m a killer, man. I’m a bird that needs to fly, and I couldn’t really fly there. They put me in a box that I was successful in … but I did that for confidence. I enjoy just playing, and I would play some of my best games in that (run), because I didn’t really have a rhythm (in the real games). I had to kind of cater to guys. And respectfully, I was with it because we were winning. But I know what type of player I am.” (D’Angelo Russell, Says He ‘Was Held Back’ With Timberwolves)
Trading for Russell and shipping Russell Westbrook, who was a less-than-ideal fit alongside James and Davis, helped the Lakers get their season back on track. It seems to have helped the Ohio State product help get back on track from an individual standpoint as well.
And the deal was worth it for Saturday’s performance alone as Russell’s 21 points in the first half helped put the Lakers ahead 2-1 in their series with Golden State. (D’Angelo Russell, Says He ‘Was Held Back’ With Timberwolves)