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Why Russell, Reaves have an on-court ‘advantage’

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LOS ANGELES – Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ 131-127 win against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, the main focus postgame was the fourth quarter explosion by LeBron James. But also important in the Lakers’ win was the backcourt performance of D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves.

While D’Angelo Russell’s name was in trade rumors throughout the offseason, he remained on the Lakers’ roster and is one half of their starting backcourt along with Austin Reaves. Through three games, the duo has gotten off to a solid start.

Following the Lakers’ win over the Kings, Russell spoke about his continued chemistry with Reaves in the backcourt and why he believes they have an advantage against their opponents each game.

“We complement each other the best we can. I have a great feel for where he’s at and where he’s gonna be, and vice versa,” Russell said. “I think that’s an advantage that we have. We spend a lot of time with each other off the court, it carries over to our advantage when we’re on the court.”

Against the Kings, Russell and Reaves had 16 points each. Reaves dished out six assists while Russell dished out five. Russell shot 6-of-11 from the field and 3-of-6 from the three-point line. Reaves shot 7-of-12 from the field and 2-of-4 from the three-point line.

After James’ scoring outburst, when the Kings had cut the Lakers’ lead down to seven, 116-109, Reaves dished a pass to Russell who knocked down a big three-point shot to give the Lakers a little breathing room. While nothing is ever absolute, Russell and Reaves are the making the case for them to continue playing together rather than the front office making a trade.

D’Angelo Russell’s start to 2024-25 season for Lakers

Ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season, D’Angelo Russell was probably the most popular bet to be moved at some point during a trade. He was coming off a back t0 back poor playoff performances against the Denver Nuggets which had fans questioning if he could be relied upon to come through in the postseason.

Russell had the opportunity to hit unrestricted free agency this past offseason, but he made the decision to opt into his contract for this year keeping him in the purple and gold for at least one more season. That is of course barring any trade.

During the Lakers’ 3-0 start, Russell has been solid. As he continues to share backcourt duties with Reaves, he’s played his role in terms of serving as another ball-handler, as well as getting more off-ball reps. He’s currently averaging 10.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.7 steals in 32 minutes per game.

His shooting percentages may not be exactly what you would want from a starting guard (37.9 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from three-point range), but it’ll be interesting to see if he’s able to carry the momentum from the Kings win into the Lakers’ upcoming road trip.

From Russell’s perspective, the team overall can keep this momentum going due to JJ Redick and the new coaching staff.

“JJ and his coaching staff are well-prepared. I think that preparation is what’s getting us these wins. There’s obviously adversity and ups and downs throughout the game, but they find a way to adjust and respond and put our best players in the best position to find their niche throughout the game,” Russell said.

The Lakers begin a five-game road trip with a game against the Phoenix Suns on Monday.