Warriors: D’Angelo Russell stellar in return to action

After missing the previous six games with a shoulder injury, Golden State Warriors’ starting guard D’Angelo Russell made his return on January 12th. Though the Warriors lost, Russell looked as if he had not missed a beat.

Battling a left shoulder contusion for over a week now, Golden State Warriors‘ guard D’Angelo Russell was welcomed back into the starting lineup versus the Memphis Grizzlies.

Putting on a show from start to finish, the 23-year-old finished with a fantastic team-high 34 points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists.

Scoring 18 in the first half, Russell’s offensive arsenal was on full display. Shooting 42.9 percent from the field and a stunning 60 percent from behind the arc, the guard did not show any signs of rust.

The Warriors trailed by just one at the half led by their All-Star who carried his dominance over into the second half.

Adding 16 more points in the final two quarters, Russell’s efforts were not enough as the Grizzlies defeated the Warriors 122-102. However, it was reassuring to see star guard back on the court healthy while providing some lethal offense.

Shooting 50 percent from the field and 55.6 percent from downtown on the night as a whole, Russell tacked down another sensational performance.

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Returning to action for the first time since December 28th, Russell has now scored 30+ in four of his last five games, including three straight.

This scoring barrage of his is just what the struggling Warriors’ team needs, as they have won four out of their last six games when Russell is on the court. As their season has by no means gone as planned, D’Angelo Russell has served as a bright spot throughout for the Warriors.

With unfortunate injuries plaguing their team, fans can only fantasize about what kind of damage a trio consisting of Russell, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson could be doing right now.

For now, the team will have to be patient and admire the great season Russell has been having.

Averaging 23.2 PPG on the season, there could be an All-Star appearance in the guard’s near future this season if he continues this dynamic play.