Lakers News: Darvin Ham Reveals Whether Or Not He'll Bench Slumping D'Angelo Russell

LA's starting point guard has fallen into his old habits against Denver.

Apr 22, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (1) shoots over Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27). / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Just like last year, the No. 7-seeded Los Angeles Lakers trail the mighty Denver Nuggets 0-3 in a playoff series.

Just like last year, LA's starting point guard D'Angelo Russell has disappeared just when his team needs him most.

And just like last year, Russell could become a free agent this summer.

For Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals last spring, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham opted to demote D'Angelo Russell to the bench when his shot abandoned him, replacing him for top point-of-attack defender Dennis Schröder. Last season against the Nuggets, Russell averaged just 6.3 points on .323/.133/.750 shooting splits, 3.5 assists, two rebounds, 0.5 steals and 0.5 blocks.

Unfortunately, LA has no one who's playing at the level of Schröder this summer. Ham did play Spencer Dinwiddie for more of the fourth quarter in LA's 112-105 Game 3 loss than he did Russell.

This year, Russell is averaging a better-but-still-mediocre 12 points while shooting 32.6% from the field and 30.8% from deep (he has taken no free throws), plus 3.7 assists (against two turnovers), three rebounds and one steal a night.

Will Russell suffer the same fate in tomorrow's must-win Game 4 that he did in the Western Conference Finals?

When the subject of a possible repeat benching was broached, Ham insisted that this year, Russell would continue to start for tomorrow's do-or-die Game 4, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

The Lakers' future -- and D'Angelo Russell's -- could be on the line tomorrow night, as the Lakers look to avoid a sweep in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

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