Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle dislike bench role, but vow to fight through it

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott and Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell #1 have a discussion in the first half .The Los Angeles Lakers played the Denver Nuggets in a regular season NBA game at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. 11/3/2015 (photo by John McCoy/Los Angeles News Group)

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott and Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell #1 have a discussion in the first half .The Los Angeles Lakers played the Denver Nuggets in a regular season NBA game at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. 11/3/2015 (photo by John McCoy/Los Angeles News Group)

TORONTO — The two players represent significant pieces toward the Lakers’ long-term future. But rookie point guard D’Angelo Russell and second-year power forward Julius Randle also represent the pawns in Lakers coach Byron Scott making his first starting lineup switch in hopes to turnaround the team’s 3-17 record.

Both Russell and Randle will come off the bench when the Lakers visit the Toronto Raptors (12-9) on Monday at Air Canada Centre, while 10-year veteran guard Lou Williams and rookie forward Larry Nance Jr. will start in their place.

“Both of them are young, have a long way to go and have a lot of work to do. But this change wasn’t so much based on them not performing up to their capabilities,” Scott said of Randle and Russell. “It’s based on where we are as a team.”

Understandably, neither Russell nor Randle sounded thrilled with the move.

Russell has averaged 11 points on on 41 percent shooting, 3.1 assists and 2.2 turnovers in 27.8 minutes per game. The adversities Russell faced included everything from sharing ball-handling duties with Kobe Bryant, minimizing his highlight reel passes and stopping speedy point guards. Russell lamented that he still hasn’t felt like his teammates totally respect his playcalling.

But Russell had also shown marked improvement with his assertiveness and on-court decision making. Russell also reported he felt making progress with “getting better relationships with my teammates on the floor.”

“I started to figure it out and this happened,” Russell said. “I don’t feel like this will get in the way of my growth. But it is what it is.”

Randle has averaged 11.7 points on 43.3 percent shooting and a league-leading eight double doubles. Randle has encountered a learning curve with occasional early foul trouble, an inconsistent jump shot and an undeveloped right hand.

But Randle has become dependable with his strength, rebounding and playmaking.

“You’re never going to be thrilled about it as a competitor,” Randle said. “But it’s out of your control. What I can control is go out there and play hard like we’ve been doing. Then we can get better.”

Scott alerted Russell and Randle about the lineup switch during a team meeting on Monday morning, but he did not explain his thought process. The Lakers’ coach added he might make another lineup switch in the next five to 10 games.

That could leave Russell and Randle with a carrot to prove Scott wrong.

Said Russell: “I don’t know how it’ll affect myself. If I was the problem and the change that needed to happen to better the team, I guess it was worth it.”

Said Randle: “I’ll just do what I’ve been doing.”

But both Russell and Randle are entering somewhat unmarked territory.

Randle came off the bench at times during last year’s training camp. But he has never come off the bench in any basketball game, ranging from the youth level, Prestonwood Christian Academy (Plano, TX) and at the University of Kentucky.

“It’s out of my control,” Randle said.

Russell came off the bench during his sophomore year in high school at Montverde Academy, a prep school in central Florida.

“I’m actually grateful for it and it made me a better player and better person,” Russell said. “I knew who I was when I looked in the mirror. I was the same person whether I started or came off the bench. It didn’t really matter. I saw myself as a playmaker.”

It did not sound like Russell viewed his current circumstance the same way.

“Everybody has a story at the end of the day as far as what they’ve been through and where they want to be,” Russell said. “Hopefully I can look back at this and laugh at it.”

But neither Russell nor Randle laughed on Monday as they encountered a switch they did not like.

“I don’t think they were happy about it, and I hope they’re not,” Scott said. “I hope that when they get their chance to play, that they come out with a lot more energy and a little bit more aggressiveness and just play better basketball.”


RELATED:

Shaquille O’Neal hopes Kobe Bryant feels happy without basketball

Lakers’ Nick Young won’t face suspension following ejection

Kobe Bryant sluggish with illness and shot in Lakers’ 111-91 loss to Pistons

Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com