D'Angelo Russell Makes First Statement After Getting Benched

The Los Angeles Lakers got back to winning ways with a home win over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night to improve to 5-4 on the season. The biggest storyline from the game was JJ Redick's decision to bench D'Angelo Russell in favor of Cam Reddish.

Russell was struggling on both ends of the floor to start the season. On top of his usual defensive deficiencies, he was not shooting the ball well. After the Grizzlies loss on Wednesday, Redick had singled Russell out for his lack of effort.

The All-Star point guard addressed this decision after the game. Calling himself "egoless", Russell said that he just wants to win and doesn't mind the bench role, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

Lakers News: D'Angelo Russell Doesn't Care About Coming Off the Bench

For now, the lineup change seems to have proven fruitful. Russell played his most efficient game of the season, hitting seven of his 12 shots and putting up 18 points, two rebounds, and three assists in 25 minutes. The Lakers were a +13 when he was on the court.

Russell's approach to his new role is a very mature one. He is not a stranger to a sixth-man role, coming off the bench in different periods in his career with Brooklyn, Minnesota, or even for seven games with the Lakers last year. If he embraces it, his skill set is a great fit to be the offensive engine and leader on bench units.

This is a great start following the first big in-season change by Redick. It will be fascinating to see if the Lakers can find consistent success with this alignment.

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