There's no doubt that when the Dallas Mavericks signed D'Angelo Russell to a two-year $12 million contract in the opening hours of free agency, it instantly became the biggest gamble of the offseason. Russell's playstyle alone and the demeanor he brings to the basketball court have always made him a hot-or-cold player depending on the type of shooting night he is having, but Mavericks fans are finding this to be true, which is a lesson that Los Angeles Lakers fans already knew.
From his previous stints with the Lakers, Russell has been known for his inconsistent playstyle and shot selection that either make or break the games he plays in. For Dallas, it has been a small sample size, but it's already enough for fans to realize that a hot shooting night out of Russell could be the difference in winning or losing due to his horrible shot selection.
Against the New York Knicks, Russell posted one of his best games since joining the Mavericks, as he became a human torch in the second half and willed Dallas to one of their most thrilling games of the season with 23 points in the 113-111 loss. Russell has always been a player who can contribute to wins by his performances, but also losses due to his inconsistencies, and Mavericks fans found this to be true against the Knicks.
Russell's hot-and-cold play is something Dallas should've prepared for
At the tail end of last season, after Kyrie Irving went down with a torn ACL in early March, the Mavericks and their fans understood that one of the biggest priorities of the offseason was to acquire a stopgap guard who could fill in for Irving's shoes until he returns. While there is plenty of noise surrounding Irving's status and potential timetable for return this early into the season, Russell remains one of the team's only point guards.
With that in mind, fans have already begun to understand that Russell can literally be the difference in winning and losing depending on the type of shooting night he is having. There is no doubt that Russell is going to take shots that are questionable or even have moments where he is handling the rock for 21 of the 24 seconds in a shot clock to do nothing with the ball, but his inconsistencies come with moments like a 19-point third quarter against the Knicks.
With the Lakers, Russell's shooting was one of the reasons in the 2023 NBA Playoffs that they would go all the way to the Western Conference Finals as a seventh seed, but would ultimately get swept by the Denver Nuggets due to his offensive inconsistencies. Just a year later, he would lose his starting role only to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets, where it looked like his professional career would fizzle out.
Now, with the Mavericks, Russell is still struggling to find a consistent footing with his shot, but his high moments have created some of Dallas' most entertaining games this season. With a 4-12 record, it's hard to say that there is daylight at the end of the tunnel, but if there are going to be good times this season, it starts with Russell's shooting becoming more consistent.