D’Angelo Russell made his first All-Star team in February, as the former No. 2 overall pick has found himself at home in Brooklyn. After two up-and-down seasons with the Lakers, Russell was dealt to the Nets as the key asset in a move chiefly done to clear cap space in L.A. by getting rid of Timofey Mozgov’s deal.
After seeing his first season in Brooklyn cut short by injury, Russell has become one of the league’s top guards this year, taking a major leap as a leader and creator on the court. Russell is far from alone in that regard, as many of his teammates on the young Nets likewise took big steps forward this season, leading to them as a team surpassing everyone’s preseason expectations at 39-38, squarely in the playoff hunt in the East.
Part of what’s made this Nets season so incredible has been their penchant for playing in close games on seemingly a nightly basis, and the fact that they’ve managed to come out on top in so many of those games. Russell recently spoke with Dime on behalf of Old Spice, where he discussed how they’ve grown in those late game situations, the incredible balance of the roster, his breakout season, trying to enjoy the playoff race, and more.
Uproxx: I feel like every time I turn on a Nets game in the fourth quarter it’s a one or two possession game late, but you guys seem to handle those situations better now than in the first few weeks of the season. How would you describe the way the team’s grown and learned how to play in those tight games?
D’Angelo Russell: It’s been honestly a true surprise with the success that we’ve had in recent months with our wins and what not. I think that changes the aura and chemistry around our team atmosphere, everything’s been really great. We go into tough situations like that in games and there’s not one time we think we’re going to lose. We always think we have a chance. I give coach Kenny a lot of credit with that, and giving us that confidence.
You have a group that seems really unselfish and where a lot of guys chip in every night. How helpful is that as the point guard in those situations to know that if they trap or double you, you have confidence that when you move the ball it’s going to end up with someone capable of making the defense pay?
I think we have the personnel to take full advantage of that. You can either get the ball in my hands or move me off the ball, but you still have Caris LeVert or Spencer Dinwiddie orchestrating the offense. So it makes it that much more valuable to have players with that talent on the team. Very underrated.
You mentioned recently this is the first season you’ve been in a playoff race and it’s been a fun adjustment for you. What have you learned this year about leading a team that’s a winner and is in the playoff hunt and the pressures that go in on a nightly basis to not just produce but produce wins?
That’s it right there. Trying to put yourself in the best position to produce wins. It’s easy to go score 30, 20-plus points, or 10 assists or whatever it may be, but if you’re losing people aren’t really going to acknowledge that. But when everybody’s eating and thriving and there’s wins in the win column, I think it makes your job that much more fun. I think we’re all enjoying this whole process of the playoff race and every game being that much more intense and stuff like that, because like you said, a lot of us haven’t really been in this situation.
What do you look at as the biggest key for you guys to have success in the playoffs?
Shoot, we gotta stay healthy first. I think staying healthy is the main bug in this league that can contribute to a lot of things, but I think as far as making that playoff run and push or what not, I think it’s going to come down to us doing what we do. I know this is a crucial part of the season, but we’ve still got to just do what we do and make teams focus on what we do and not stray from our process.
I covered the Hawks when Kenny Atkinson was an assistant and he was always well regarded for his work with point guards. What are the things you feel like you’ve picked up from him in your two years in Brooklyn?
Man, Kenny’s a scientist, man. He’s a workaholic and the way the NBA’s changing with old school coaches and younger coaches coming in, I think he’s right in the middle of all of it. He’s been around the older coaches. He’s been around the youth of the coaching staffs and he’s definitely found a balance to how to coach players and not have his mind too set up one way or the other. I appreciate him so much. With the success that we’re having and the position he puts a lot of our players in. He just understands the game and the players.
One thing that I feel gets overlooked a lot is how much fit matters for a young player. You seem really comfortable with this team and this staff, how much has that fit contributed to your breakout year as a first time All-Star?
I give all the glory to God and my teammates as well for putting me in the best position to go out every night and provide my job for them and vice versa. They come to work every day as well and make my job easier as a point guard. So, it’s just been really fun.
Finally, off the court, I know you’re into fashion and like to dress well but now you’re partnered with Old Spice so you can have the whole “look good, smell good” thing down. How did that partnership come about?
Yeah, it’s definitely a luxury to have these partnerships in general and I don’t want to let that go unnoticed, just to have the partnerships with these guys. But Old Spice with the new Fresher Collection lets you not only smell right but take advantage of having real ingredients. I know the ladies, they take pride in the fragrances and smelling good and doing stuff like that, but all the real ingredients are in here for the men as well, you don’t have to go out of your way to get that now because Old Spice is providing it.
