Russell blames himself for Lakers' struggles: 'It's always my fault'

After winning seven of their first 12 games this season, the Lakers were on a high, far exceeding everyone's expectations.

Cue a D'Angelo Russell knee injury that would cause it all to come crashing down.

Russell would go to on to miss twelve of the team's next thirteen games. In that span, they would only notch three wins and see their record in the Western Conference plummet. However, things were looking up for the Lakers upon the second year guard's return to the court, but they've since dropped the last two games in which he's played. The point guard puts a lot of that burden on his shoulders.

“It’s always my fault,” Russell told Mark Medina of the Orange County Register. “Being the point of the defense and being on the ball and trying to make it tough for the next guard, I blame myself here.”

The second overall pick in the 2015 draft had a rough return against the Knicks, where he would only score three points on 1-8 shooting with five assists and four turnovers, while also allowing Derrick Rose to drop 25 points on him. He followed that up in his second game back with a much better line of 17 points and four assists on 6-10 shooting.

The Louisville native knows his team has the right mindset, but needs to find the initiative.

“Everybody is trying to take that next step. We’re talking and not doing it,” Russell continued. “The next step is doing it. We’re listening to each other and not making the adjustments.”

Father time is one thing the Lakers have on their side. With Russell (20), Julius Randle (22), rookie Brandon Ingram (19), as well as the youngest bench boss in the league in Luke Walton, the Lakers definitely have time to make some mistakes.