Lakers guard vows to bounce back against Nuggets after 2023 disaster

D'Angelo Russell endured the lowest point of his career when the Lakers were swept 4-0 by the Nuggets in last year's Western Conference Finals. 

Russell's minutes shrunk with each passing game until he was eventually pulled from the starting unit in favor of Dennis Schroder.

For the most part, Russell became unplayable due to his lackluster perimeter defense — Jamal Murray picked him apart — and his inconsistent shotmaking. Russell averaged 6.3 points at mediocre shooting splits of .323/.133/.750, finishing with the Lakers' worst plus/minus of -11.8.

The guard has a chance to redeem himself when the Lakers face the Nuggets in the first round of this year's playoffs. After Thursday's practice session, Russell expressed confidence in scripting a bounce-back series.

"There's no extra preparation for me [to face Denver]," Russell told reporters. "I've been preparing all year for whoever we would see in the postseason. Obviously, y'all [want to] make it a Denver-D-Lo thing, but I'm ready to compete."

Russell revealed he's drawing inspiration from Celtics guard Derrick White on how to excel in his role rather than trying to be a star player. 

"I want to stay valuable on the floor in the crunch [moments]. I want to hold my own," Russell added. 

When asked about his mental state going into the series, Russell said, "I'd rather show you."

The Ohio State product should feel confident going into the series, considering he's coming off arguably the best regular-season campaign of his career in which he drained a Lakers franchise-high 226 threes. 

If Russell can continue his recent hot-shooting streak, the Nuggets could be in for a long series against the underdog Lakers. It's why NBA analysts such as Tim Legler, Gilbert Arenas and JJ Redick feel Russell's performance could sway the series one way or the other. 

Game 1 kicks off Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET.