Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell opened up on looking at Celtics’ guard Derrick White as an inspiration on the defensive side of the ball.
“My inspiration has been Derrick White. I want to be Derrick White. He doesn’t get a lot of credit for what he does. Makes all the winning plays. That’s what I want to be.”
D’Angelo Russell says he wants to be Derrick White on defense
“My inspiration has been Derrick White. I want to be Derrick White. He doesn’t get a lot of credit for what he does. Makes all the winning plays. That’s what I want to be.”
(Via @RyanWardLA ) pic.twitter.com/wuyKHp1v9j
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 16, 2023
White is inarguably one of the best guard defenders in the NBA right now. He’s long been heralded as one of the league’s most underrated players, but last season allowed him to step up in big moments and show the league why the Celtics covet his talent so much.
White averaged 12.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists last season and was voted to Second Team All-Defense for his stifling defense. He’s expected to start alongside Jrue Holiday in the backcourt, creating one of the most menacing defensive guard duos the league has seen in a while.
Regardless, Lakers fans think Russell should be aiming higher.
Fans Didn’t Expect D’Angelo Russell’s Answer
Fans instantly got to joking about D’Lo placing White on a pedestal.
Derrick White realizing he's someone's inspiration: pic.twitter.com/9MYPr3BNRC
— Crinkle 🍟 (@LACrinkle) October 16, 2023
More fans joked about how happy Derrick White would be to see he’s inspired a player.
Derrick White after reading this tweet: pic.twitter.com/So5TOvY8j2
— Kyrie Center (@kyriecenterig) October 16, 2023
Some fans commended D’Lo for looking up to White and being humble enough to admit it.
W mentality dlo gone be a problem this szn
— wok (@dontsipwok) October 16, 2023
One fan was shocked that we’ve gone from idols being Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson to someone like Derrick White.
I remember people wanted to be like MJ and AI back in the day.. Now mfs want to be derrick white 💀
— Sefo (@BlazerLegndSefo) October 16, 2023
Fans used this to also appreciate the improved defense D’Lo has shown in preseason for the Lakers.
He locked up Dame today pic.twitter.com/tDdaOOkDL6
— 👑 (@Lebronin1) October 16, 2023
A fan questioned D’Lo’s ability to even replicate the defense White has shown in recent seasons.
— Omar (@KingBacca22x) October 16, 2023
One fan compared offensive specialist Russell looking up to defensive specialist White to Giannis Antetokounmpo looking up to Stephen Curry‘s shooting ability.
This is like Giannis Antetokounmpo saying he wants to shoot 3s like Steph Curry
— APHoops (@APH00PS) October 16, 2023
Russell has never been a defensive stopper in his eight-year NBA career and many don’t think he can suddenly transform into one. While casual fans may think this is a ludicrous bar to set, it may be the most realistic bar that Russell with his skill set could reach.
I think wanting to have White-level defense will be challenging, but if D’Lo can commit to being an on-ball defender like Kyrie Irving, who isn’t the best but can impact the game, it would be a positive step forward.
D’Angelo Russell Needs A Comeback Season
D’Angelo Russell averaged 17.4 points and 6.1 assists for the Lakers last season, proving to be great value in the regular season. Unfortunately, his value dropped in the playoffs when he averaged 6.3 points and 3.5 assists on 32.3% shooting in their sweep loss to the Nuggets.
That value drop allowed the Lakers to bring Russell back on a very team-friendly contract with D’Lo motivated to re-establish his status as an All-Star point guard. With the Lakers also confirming he will be the team’s starting guard ahead of Gabe Vincent, all D’Lo needs to do is provide what he did in the regular season and be a leading offensive option who can be the floor general when LeBron James isn’t in the game.
With the defensive focus the Lakers play with, Russell will have to polish himself on that end. He was benched for Dennis Schroder last season purely because of Schroder’s superior defensive effort helping the Lakers clamp teams down. Vincent provides a similar threat to Russell, so looking at White on the Celtics and hoping to replicate that level of defense may be integral for Russell to maintain his starting spot in LA.
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