What a difference a few months makes.
Back in June, the Warriors were being led by Stephen Curry and competing with the Raptors for all the marbles.
In November, they’re being led by D’Angelo Russell as they attempt to right a season that has gotten off on the wrong foot.
As for Russell himself, he left one rebuilding situation in Brooklyn and, coincidentally, finds himself in a similar one in Golden State. It wasn’t lost on him as he prepared to return to the lineup after missing each the club’s last three games due to an ankle sprain.
With the Dubs taking on the Timberwolves on Friday night, Russell is preparing to do battle with the team being led by his good friend Karl-Anthony Towns, and Russell couldn’t help but to reflect on the fact that he and his good friend, both of whom are leading young teams, are in similar positions. The video below was posted by @LetsGoWarriors on Twitter.
“It’s cool, it’s cool to see one of your friends kinda dominating the NBA like he’s doing in a similar position that I’m in—kinda one of the older guys on the team, trying to lead by example. Lead every way you can, I think we’re kinda in the same boat.”
When the Warriors tipped off against the Trail Blazers in Wednesday night’s upset, they did so without any of the 15 players from last season’s Western Conference champion on the floor. So Russell’s declaration—that he’s being entrusted to lead the young club—is fairly accurate.
Although NBA players communicate frequently with one another, Russell says that he and Towns haven’t exactly discussed the roles that either has with their respective ball clubs.
“I think once you’ve been through so many situations throughout the league, it’s kinda obvious. You don’t really talk about a lot of that.”
Hopefully, for Steve Kerr’s team, Russell’s play will do all the talking on Friday night.
