D'Angelo Russell and the self-awareness onion

How we know so much and so little about ourselves, as expressed by a one-time All-Star who ricochets between lucidity and delusion.

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

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The Artist’s Palette With a Landscape; Camille Pissarro; 1878

Dave McMenamin wrote a long, reported piece on D’Angelo Russell for ESPN. It’s well worth a read: the Lakers aren’t all that interesting these days, but Russell’s place on the team and in the NBA makes good fodder. And Russell is one of the better quotes in the game.

AFTER BEING BENCHED against Denver in the playoffs, Russell wasn't thrilled about returning to the Lakers in free agency. He said as much in his offseason exit meeting with [Rob] Pelinka and [Darvin] Ham.

"They were like, 'We're going to do whatever to try to keep you here,'" Russell said. "And I was like, 'Are y'all going to let me rock out, though?'"

It’s pretty clear that Russell remains skeptical that Ham — quickly becoming one of the most divisive coaches in the league — will actually let him rock out. But money talks, and Russell quickly re-signed with the Lakers above what most would consider market value on a deal that many saw as pure, unadulterated trade bait should a star player come available. And sure enough: Ham did not rock out with Russell after a rough stretch in December, benching him again. And sure enough: Russell was dangled as trade bait all winter long.

What’s fascinating to me is the framing that Russell’s recent hot stretch — he got back into the starting lineup on January 13 — is about anything other than the Lakers’ desperate need for shooting and scoring punch. In McMenamin’s piece, Russell positions himself as a brainy leader, a coach on the floor. Consider this quote.