D’Angelo Russell has been traded twice in the last six months and he is now with the Dallas Mavericks after signing a two-year, $13 million contract. Some think he’s just a back up, or a stop-gape solution with the injury to main point guard Kyrie Irving.
The 29-year-old player is ready to break that perception and he is gearing up for a better season after failed stints in that made him dispensable. The one-time All-Star believes he can still do damage. He thinks he is still in his prime.
“My preparation is completely different,” Russell said during an appearance at The Backyard podcast.
“I still feel like I’m in my prime. Like, I don’t feel old. I feel stronger. I feel wiser. I feel more careful. And that’s it.”
In the same interview, he said that he is now being more focused with his role.
“My whole career has just been like figuring it out because I never played point guard until I got to the highest level and then I got to college and start playing it and then start playing point when it mattered.”
Coming in prepared for Dallas Mavericks
Russell is now all about becoming more mature and he is starting that with his preparation.
He also opened up about how Stephen Curry inspired him to change his work ethic and become better version of himself.
“Bro I was always way more flashy than anything,” he said in the show.
“Like I used to be like Jason Williams, like flashy, like regular pass behind the back, regular bounce pass no look uh-uh, fast break backboard. Like that was—shoot it. If I would have saw what Steph was doing at that young I would have been turn around like I would have been part of that trend of what we’re seeing.”
Russell is expected to become an integral part for the Mavs this season as they try to get back to contention. They got a good core although injury and availability might be their biggest obstacle.
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