Before the season, it was a looming belief that D’Angelo Russell’s stay with the Lakers would be short-lived. He still opted into his player option. Redick saw impressive signs, with the Lakers starting 3-0 and the 28-year-old playing with tenacity. However, the fear was Russell’s inability to stay consistent with intensity. Against the Grizzlies, the glaring issue hit the Lakers in the face. Although not a “punishment,” Redick didn’t see the heart from the Lakers’ point guard.

After a possession where Russell got stuck in place, Redick subbed him out. That was his last action, only appearing in 22 minutes in the loss. When asked for reasons, JJ Redick didn’t mask his concerns. “Just level of compete. Attention to detail. Some of the things we’ve talked with him about for a couple of weeks,” he told the reporters.

Having played less than a half, the Grizzlies targeted D’Angelo Russell’s lack of effort to generate an easy offense. They took 15 shots when he was defending, converting 60% of their attempts. The sporadic scorer’s tenacity didn’t reflect in closeouts either, with him only contesting three of those shots.

The display has former NBA star Jeff Teague thinking Russell just “don’t fit” with the Purple and Gold. The former Pacers guard feels Redick needs someone in the backcourt who can stand his ground defensively. With that in mind, he did provide a few suggestions. “They need T. J. McConnell, they need Tyus Jones, they need one of them kind of point guards that’s going to play defense, does not turn the ball over, get Bron and AD there but just solid,” he said on the Club 520 Podcast.

Even though Russell has been a game-changer at times, the Lakers have made their willingness to make moves evident. But is it time to give up on D’Lo?

D’Angelo Russell isn’t the reason for the Lakers’ struggles

Erratic performances do affect the Lakers. In the first month, when Russell played by applying tremendous pressure, his defensive rating stood at 108.5. Moreover, even after a string of poor performances in November, he holds the best defensive rating mark for the Lakers at a little over 111.

Another upside of having Russell is he is among the scarcely available perimeter threats for the Lakers and an efficient playmaker with a role of facilitating now rested on him. One won’t need an expert to draw the connection. When Russell plays with energy, the Lakers have played well. Without it, they falter.

However, the major reason for their disoriented results is the lack of a stable second unit. There are going to be times when Russell or other starters don’t perform well. In their absence, the Purple and Gold are still without a compact bench performer that can fill those weaknesses. Gabe Vincent, popularized for his defense is yet to do so for the Lakers.

Additionally, their bench scoring has been egregious. The Lakers rank last as far as bench output, producing less than 20 points per game from their second unit. Guys like Christian Wood and Vanderbilt can surely aid Redick’s pursuit of playing with a hot engine and pressure. Still, Rob Pelinka might need to revisit the structure of the roster.

Before the season, the GM spoke about the Lakers’ willingness to trade their two available first-round picks for the onset of “sustainable Lakers excellence.” Maybe a tempo-switching move at the trade deadline to deepen their scoring or strengthen their defense will help JJ Redick achieve the brand of basketball he wishes to.

But with D’Angelo Russell, he might be a robust component to have if he buys into the culture the first-year head coach is trying to establish.