The Los Angeles Lakers are done with their preseason and are looking forward to the start of the 2024-25 season, which begins Tuesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. If they do that, they will finally have a familiar starting lineup consisting of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell.

Russell may have had the best regular season of his career, especially in the second half. Unconscious outside the arc for nearly three months, he earned a permanent spot in head coach JJ Redick’s starting lineup this year.

The experienced Lakers guard has always been known for his confident demeanor. That’s why, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, his answer wasn’t surprising when asked which players impressed him during the Lakers’ training camp:

D’Angelo Russell was his usual confident self this morning when asked who has impressed him so far in training camp. Russell: “Me.” pic.twitter.com/upPXLiJjxp

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 17, 2024

Considering Russell has quickly secured the starting point guard position this season, it makes sense that he would be impressed with his own work. Russell was always confident, but he was also always willing to praise others. So this answer really shows that he is proud of the work he has done.

It remains to be seen whether Russell can match last season’s performance, especially with a new coach and higher expectations for him. But the Lakers point guard has always found a way to be an effective player in the regular season, even if his role has fluctuated at times.

D’Angelo Russell believes he can break the Lakers’ 3-point record again

Last season, D’Angelo Russell broke the Lakers’ franchise record for most 3-pointers made during a season, previously held by Nick Van Exel.

Van Exel’s record was 183 triples, and the former Ohio State University product finished the year with 226, breaking that record. Heading into this season, the 28-year-old guard believes he can break his record, he told Spectrum SportsNet at Lakers Media Day.

What JJ Redick’s offense looks like during the regular season and how many clean looks Russell gets could be a big factor in deciding if this is possible. To break his record, he only needs to hit about three triples per game if he plays all 82.

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