Lakers' D'Angelo Russell absent from practice, status vs. Grizzlies up in the air
11/12/2024 04:54 PM
The Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Memphis Grizzlies in an important interconference matchup on Wednesday. However, LA may be short-handed, given an injury update on D’Angelo Russell.
Russell did not participate in practice on Tuesday because of an illness, the Lakers communicated, per Dave McMenamin of EPSN. Thus, it is unclear whether Russell will be available for the team’s matchup against Memphis. Hopefully, he will undergo a speedy recovery and get back on the court soon.
Through his first 10 games of the 2024-25 season, Russell has averaged 12.9 points and 5.0 assists on a 31.9 percent three-point shooting mark, all of which are his lowest since his second year in the league, which was the 2016-17 campaign. JJ Redick and the Lakers elected to bring Russell off the bench in hopes of finding a more productive role for him.
The Lakers have won two games in a row since the move, so chances are the decision was the right one. ClutchPoints’ Senior Lakers Insider Anthony Irwin provided additional insight into how the decision has impacted Russell’s teammates and could further impact himself:
“Sources say the players were somewhat surprised Redick went away from Russell as quickly as he did, but, through improved communication, Redick has been able to maintain better buy-in. It also helped that he did give that group a shot from the onset of the season. Some internally are still concerned about how Russell will handle this over time, which makes it all the more important the Lakers keep winning as they figure out this new approach,” Irwin wrote on Nov. 11.
The Lakers’ changes with D’Angelo Russell could pay off and get them over the hump, but they still need the offensive-minded guard to be at full strength and injury-free for the team to thrive. It will be interesting to how the Lakers look in their next contest with the Grizzlies on Wednesday with what will hopefully be a mostly healthy team.
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