D’Angelo Russell Thinks Lakers Are ‘Much Better Than Our Record’

The Lakers are 41-32. They are in ninth place in the Western Conference standings. 

“I think we’re much better than our record,” Russell said. “We match up, adjust, and do all these different things in the flow of the game. The problem is we’ve got 12 different guys that can be out there. When that random group of five is out there, the familiarity with what we’re trying to do is on the fly. A lot of teams have five or six guys that know they’re always going to have an idea who’s going to be in and where’s this and that. We’ve got a new guy every game because there’s no telling who’s going to be out there because of injuries and other things.

“It’s a good problem to have. I think that’s why we utilize 82 games a year to prepare for the postseason. So I definitely think we’re better than our record, and we’re still trying to figure it out and hitting our stride. I like where we’re at.”

The Lakers are seventh in the NBA in points per game, 23rd in points per game allowed and 19th in net rating. 

If the regular season ended today, the Lakers would face the Golden State Warriors in the 9-10 play-in tournament game. LA would need to win two play-in games in a row to make the 2024 playoffs. 

Russell is averaging 18.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 6.4 assists on the season while shooting 46.3% from the field, 42.5% from beyond the arc and 82.4% from the free-throw line. 

“I always feel like I was a natural leader,” Russell said. “I just had my own way of doing it. I felt earlier in my career, I was challenged to be a leader, and I went extreme with it and went way out of my way to be a great leader and to prove that I was a great leader. Being around guys who were traded allowed me to take away something from everybody.

“When I was ready to be seen and showcase my abilities, everything would be magnified that I’ve learned from so many different people.”