D'Angelo Russell Sends A Cryptic Message On Twitter

For those unaware, this is actually a lyric from Lil Yachty and J. Cole's song, The Secret Recipe. As to what message Russell is trying to convey with it, it's beyond me. This is about as cryptic as things can get. 

Russell had declined to speak to reporters after a couple of games earlier this month but has fulfilled his media duties in recent games. He also speaks at length on The Backyard Podcast, which he started last month, so I'm not entirely sure what he means by this post. Maybe there is no meaning at all and he just randomly posted a lyric, only he knows.

D'Angelo Russell Isn't Paying Much Attention To Trade Rumors

The Lakers have had a disappointing start to the 2023-24 season and currently sport a 20-21 record. There has been a lot of talk about the team needing to make some moves and Russell has found himself at the center of it. His name is the one that has come up frequently, but Russell brushed off the Lakers trade rumors.

“No, I mean, it is what it is,” Russell said. “Since I’ve been in the league, I’ve kind of been dealing with that to where I know I can’t control it. I know those things happen, no matter how well you play, how professional you act, how many shots you make or miss, this is gonna happen regardless. So I don’t really go about my days worrying about that, to be honest.”

Russell has averaged 15.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game this season for L.A. He had a good start to the campaign but then struggled a bit and found himself out of the starting lineup.

Russell admitted he was not happy about being benched by head coach Darvin Ham, but it wasn't something that lasted for too long. Ham reinserted him into the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Utah Jazz and Russell responded by having his best outing of the season, finishing with 39 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks.

Ham now plans to stick with the same starting lineup for the foreseeable future, so Russell will have a chance to show he is someone worth keeping for the Lakers.

D'Angelo Russell Addressed The Lakers' Struggles

There has been plenty of analysis done on just why the Lakers have struggled so much this season. There were high expectations of them coming into the season, and L.A. has pretty much fallen flat on its face. Russell explained that the Lakers' struggles were down to there being too many holes in their system.

“I think it’s just a lot of holes in our system right now,” Russell said, via The Athletic. “You use the regular season to figure those things out, the ups and downs, the digression, the setbacks, all these things. Injuries just keep playing a part in our success.”

Russell also stated they are still trying to figure things out. They have tried different lineups and groups, but no combination has worked all that well. He insisted there was no panic behind the scenes and remains confident that they can turn things around.