Since signing with the Dallas Mavericks in the early hours of free agency, D’Angelo Russell immediately became one of the team’s most polarizing players for a number of reasons. Now, a month into the regular season, it’s clear that the Russell experiment the Mavericks signed up for is not what they are getting.
In 19 of 82 games played, there’s no doubt that Russell has had his moments on the floor, including a recent 23-point outburst in a close loss to the New York Knicks, but looking back overall, Russell’s time with the Mavericks has been forgettable. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that Russell’s hot-and-cold playing style will either hurt or help the Mavericks this season, but after all the hype of joining the team on a low-risk contract, he has lost his role in Jason Kidd’s rotation.
19 games into the regular season, and Russell’s status in Kidd’s rotation has generally become one of a guy who is either lighting up the scoreboard as soon as he touches the floor or playing terrible defense for a few minutes and doing nothing with the rock, he may not see the floor again in that game. It was no different against the Miami Heat as he scored zero points and played a shocking 10 minutes in what was one of his final games as a highlight player in Kidd’s rotation.
D’Angelo Russell has completely lost his role with the Mavericks
Against the Heat, Russell only got to play 10 minutes when the Mavericks were in desperate need of a table setter to run their offense. Not only was Russell clearly not that guy and wasn’t for the long haul this season, but two-way player Ryan Nembhard came in and turned the game in the Mavericks’ favor with his incredible play and ability to knife through the defense.
It’s unclear whether this level of play is sustainable for a rookie like Nembhard, but it doesn’t make Russell’s job any easier knowing that a rookie could steal his job in Kidd’s rotation. To make matters worse, this was one of the first games where Russell barely saw the field in the second half, and when he did, his leash was non-existent in Nembhard’s favor.
Ultimately, this may have been something the Mavericks could have easily avoided with Russell’s inconsistent playing style, but almost a month into the season, it’s clear that if Russell isn’t having one of his few hot shooting nights, his time on the floor may be limited.
It’s unclear if Kidd will have a specific time frame for Russell to showcase his offensive abilities, but it’s already clear that fans and the coaching staff are tired of Russell’s on-court behavior.
Now, with multiple names on the line and Kyrie Irving just getting healthy, the Mavericks may elect to eliminate Russell’s role entirely, which could send the right message to the 10-year vet. In a prove-it year with a contract to prove it, Russell needs to play with more desperation on both ends of the floor, and more than a month into the season, it’s clear he doesn’t have that.
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