They say the point guard is a coach's extension on the court. This is why there should be a constant dialogue between them.
D'Angelo Russell did not feel like that was the situation between him and Darvin Ham during the early months of their time with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Russell was re-acquired by the Lakers in a three-team trade mid-season of 2023 as they tried to make a push for the playoffs. He joined the team that already had Anthony Davis and Lebron James.
He started every game in the regular season, but things changed eventually.
They did make the playoffs and even reached the Western Conference Finals, but the 2019 All-Star was hardly instrumental in their run.
Russell thought he could have done more. He believed in his ability but found it hard to impose himself, and he knew why.
Talking to ESPN, the 28-year-old point guard thought the Dennis Schroder-Darvin Ham relationship was too tight for him to squeeze himself in.
"His 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."
Schroder and Ham go way back. The two were together for five years with the Atlanta Hawks, who drafted Schroder. Ham was the assistant coach at that time.
Russell was benched in the playoff series with the eventual champions, the Denver Nuggets. After losing Ham's favor, he even considered not returning to Hollywood.
The 2023 Lakers' ending was an extension for Russell on a personal level until his 2024 run.
They won the Play-in tournament in December, but it felt like they stopped trying from there.
The team looked for a scapegoat for their struggle, someone they could use as a trade asset. Russell's name was on top of the list after averaging only 10.2 points on 41% shooting (32.7% from 3) that month.
D'Angelo Russell's revival
Russell's days of playing second fiddle to Schroder are behind him. The German point guard has bounced from the Toronto Raptors to the Brooklyn Nets.
Dloading, for his part, has established himself as the third star of the team.
His best game so far was last week when he took over for the Lebron James-less Lakers and beat Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. In the game, he dished out nine assists and scored 44 points, including the game-winning basket.
The ice in his veins is back.
Currently, the Lakers are 36-30, ninth in the Western Conference standings with 16 games to go. They are 2.5 games behind the Top 6 for an instant playoff spot.
The Lakers will need him to be consistent each game for them to do their 2023 postseason better and get himself a chance to prove himself in the playoffs.
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