During the 2023 preseason, Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell appeared to be a different player. He recently disclosed that Boston Celtics guard Derrick White is his ideal player to play alongside on the court.
Although White has never been selected to the NBA All-Star team, the Celtics’ All-Defense second team was chosen this past season.
The guard has received praise for his selflessness, willingness to perform small tasks, and his team-first mindset while playing for the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs. Russell has expressed his desire to begin being that.
Following hearing about Russell’s compliments to him, White expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the type of player Russell is, as reported by The Athletic’s Jay King and Jovan Buha.
White told The Athletic, “I was shocked when I woke up to it.” “D-Lo is undoubtedly an All-Star, a very gifted player who has accomplished a lot in this league. Thus, it’s great to be acknowledged in that way, particularly by someone who has accomplished as much in the league as he has.
The Boston guard discussed what he brings to the Celtics and why he thinks Russell would like to play like him.
White remarked, “I think it’s just competing, being in the right place.” Just making sure your team does the tasks they need to accomplish, regardless of how it appears on the stat sheet. I’m just trying to do all in my power to help this team win, whether it’s getting two shots or scoring twenty points. I’ll do everything it takes to ensure our victory. Thus, I believe Russell was attempting to convey that message.
Guards like Gabe Vincent and Austin Reaves lead the Lakers’ rotation because they have demonstrated a willingness to go above and beyond for the club. Russell needs to start putting some of those traits into practice if he hopes to stay out of a predicament similar to the one that occurred in the Western Conference Finals, when he was benched for no defensive effort at all.
He certainly demonstrated motivation to do so during the preseason; the only remaining task is to carry that over into the regular season and beyond.
Max Christie’s position becomes clearerSecond-year player Max Christie is another guard who prioritizes the team and may compete for playing time this season. And as the preseason goes on, he’s getting a better idea of what his potential job entails.
Indeed, I would say so. I’m able to partially define my position in these preseason games and carry it out in the regular season, especially when we have a lot of our guys back, as we did last game with Bron and AR. I was able to play a little more freely and just do my thing on a night like tonight, but I’m getting used to changing roles and such.
