D’Angelo Russell made a splash in his Brooklyn Nets debut, dropping 22 points off the bench on New Year’s Day 2025. Traded from the Lakers for Dorian Finney-Smith, D’Lo seems to be thriving in his fresh start after a rocky season. Russell came along with his ex-Laker teammate Maxwell Lewis who didn’t have the ‘grand’ debut he was looking ahead. Therefore, D’Lo had nothing but prayers for his teammate, while having a word or two for his former coach JJ Redick.

Jordi Fernandez and his Brooklyn boys were looking ahead for a fresh start after the blockbuster trade last week. But not only did the team lose 130-113 to the Toronto Raptors, Maxwell Lewis, injured himself. Badly. Tragedy struck in the closing minutes of the final quarter. D’Angelo Russell’s teammate, Lewis suffered a scary injury. With the game decided, he hit a three-pointer but stumbled as Jakob Poeltl stepped on his foot. Grimacing and clutching his knee, Lewis was carried off, ending his night with three points in a minute—a bittersweet moment for Brooklyn’s rookie.

Thus D’Lo sympathized with the injured 22-year-old’s situation in the Nets locker room at the end of the game. The veteran guard noted: “I know him well. It’s pretty unfortunate. Obviously, that’s what comes with the game, playing hard and being out there. Guys, their bodies are flying. So, prayers up to him and best wishes, man. It’s sad to see, honestly.”

Of course, for Maxwell Lewis, it was a sad first game that didn’t end on a positive note for him. But for D’Angelo Russell, it was a night of showing what he can do on the court. And playing in his usual fashion, he did a brilliant job in his time on the floor. And yes, his exit from LA wasn’t particularly happy, yet he has no hard feelings for his ex-HC JJ Redick.

D’Angelo Russell smartly bypasses questions about JJ Redick

Remember that viral clip from earlier this season when JJ Redick seemed to have reacted to D’Angelo Russell’s miss? Well, the Lakers HC had clarified that his reaction was not for the 28-year-old guard. However, the audience believes that this incident was the first rip in the relationship that LA had with D’Lo. And now, he’s been traded. Yet, Russell has nothing but respect for his former coach.

When the reporters asked him if there was any similarity between his present coach Jordi Fernandez and Redick, D’Angelo Russell chose to not answer the question. He said: “I’m not going to do that. I mean, I think where I was and where I’m at now, it’s completely two different situations. So, I’m just grateful.” It might take us some time to understand what the two different situations are. But, one thing is for sure, D’Lo requires adequate floor time to show his prowess in the game he’s played all his life.

The 2019 All-Star guard is averaging 12.7 ppg, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. Meanwhile, D’Lo has a brilliant 42.8 FG%. There is no doubt that his points stats could improve and since we know he’s capable of doing it, D’Angelo Russell’s fans are waiting for their favorite star to bounce back from his slump.

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And maybe, in the upcoming games, we’ll see an upgraded D’Lo?