J.J. Redick’s frustration with D’Angelo Russell boils over in angry sideline scene

It is nan James family that has garnered nan astir headlines done nan NBA’s first 3 weeks, though nan rookie caput coach starring nan 4-4 Los Angeles Lakers is making a strong lawsuit for 2nd place.

J.J. Redick was successful nan limelight erstwhile again connected Wednesday night, very evident successful his displeasure pinch constituent defender D’Angelo Russell and his Lakers, who were walloped by nan Grizzlies, 131-114.

At astir halfway done nan 3rd quarter, nan Lakers’ caput coach was seen repeatedly slamming his chair onto nan tribunal aft 1 of Russell’s peculiarly dubious violative decisions led to an easy transition-3 for Memphis.

With nan shot successful his hands and 10 seconds still remaining connected nan changeable clock, Russell faked a three-pointer from nan area and drew Grizzlies’ halfway Jay Huff from his feet. 

The defender had beaten Huff, but alternatively of driving wrong towards nan basket, Russell dribbled nan shot backwards done his legs and pulled up for a area 3. 

Huff had clip to reset and went up for nan artifact erstwhile again, this time, successfully deflecting nan changeable to a teammate. On nan different extremity of nan court, nan large man vanished disconnected nan play by draining a 23-foot 3 pointer to put Memphis up by double digits. 

Russell was pulled from nan crippled soon thereafter and did not spot nan level again. 

Speaking pinch reporters aft nan crippled — a property convention that would extremity pinch nan caput coach dropping nan mic and stepping out — Redick voiced his irritation pinch nan team’s transitional defense and wide effort. 

When asked specifically astir Russell’s play, nan caput coach said, “At times, he’s been really bully pinch [his level of compete and attraction to details], astatine different times [he’s] conscionable reverting backmost to definite habits.”

Redick tried to downplay nan benching, saying, “It wasn’t for illustration a punishment— it conscionable felt like, for america to person a chance to triumph this game, that was nan way we wanted to take.”

Across a season-low 22 minutes of crippled action, Russell vanished pinch 12 points connected 4-of-12 shooting from nan floor. He converted 2 of 9 attempts from beyond nan arc. 

Now successful his 2nd afloat play pinch nan Lakers’, and though nan sample size is small, astir each of nan All-Star’s statistic are down from a twelvemonth ago: minutes played, changeable attempts, section extremity percentage, rebounds, assists, steals and points. 

Talent surely isn’t nan rumor pinch Russell, perennially 1 of nan champion shooters successful nan league.

The issue, Redick said aft nan Lakers mislaid — their 4th conclusion successful 5 games — is much troubling than that. 

“You person a prime each nighttime for really you play, and it has thing to do pinch making shots,” Redick said.