Grizzlies about to learn a D’Angelo Russell lesson the Mavericks learned the hard way

The Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies were involved in a massive six-team trade that was finalized today. This move sent Marcus Sasser, Santi Aldama, and the draft rights to Tarik Biberovic to the Mavs, and AJ Johnson, D’Angelo Russell, and Isaiah Stewart to the Grizzlies.

Grizzlies need to know what version of Russell they're getting

Memphis got Russell from the Washington Wizards in this massive deal, as Dallas traded him to Washington as part of the Anthony Davis trade back in February, but he never played a game for the Wizards. The last time he played was January 10, and unfortunately for Grizzlies fans, they’re about to find out that Russell is far from the player he was in his prime.

This is a lesson that Mavericks fans learned quickly last season, as he underperformed compared to expectations for someone who has averaged 18+ points per game five different times.

DLo used to be a star shotmaker who thrived in big moments and could score at all three levels. Mavericks fans hoped that he would turn back the clock and be a star guard alongside Cooper Flagg, but they were hit with the harsh truth that he had regressed significantly and wasn't a starting-caliber player.

Dallas learned this the hard way, as they moved on from him just a few months into his two-year contract with the team. The front office thought that he would be the perfect player to make up for Kyrie Irving's production while he was out of the lineup, but the coaching staff wasn't aligned with this belief.

Now, a rebuilding squad in Memphis will have to figure out what role to give him.

Will he get real minutes? Or will the Grizzlies look to play their young players like Dallas did?

Russell's confidence doesn't always translate into production

Russell was once an All-Star who started for multiple playoff teams. Now, he’s an inefficient guard who has struggled to impact winning for multiple years in a row. The 30-year-old guard has become one of the more polarizing players in the league, but the former Ohio State Buckeye thinks that he can "still be dangerous" — regardless of where he plays.

Russell made this comment on an Instagram post reporting that he would be joining the Grizzlies, and while it's often good for players to have this type of confidence, it can sometimes lead to their downfall. He was extremely confident that he would have a significant role on the Mavericks before last season began, but the coaching staff had other plans.

How Russell's time in Dallas went south

Most Mavericks fans expected him to be Dallas’ starting point guard before last season, but his role was extremely limited right off the bat. Jason Kidd obviously didn’t trust him very much, and Russell’s sporadic minutes reflected that.

He played just 24 minutes over his first two games with Dallas, including just nine minutes in the second game. Kidd preferred to employ Brandon Williams and Ryan Nembhard as his starters, and Russell's time with the team quickly went south.

He was a DNP-CD in every game in January except for one. The one game that was an exception was a game in which Kidd was ejected, and Frank Vogel subbed him in.

Why Grizzlies fans shouldn't be overly optimistic

The Mavericks fans that expected Russell to be the answer at point guard were proven wrong quickly, and if Grizzlies fans are expecting the same thing, they need to buckle up for the DLo experience. He looks incredible when he's hitting shots, but when he isn't, his inefficiency, lack of effort, and turnovers will stall the offense.

Russell will have the chance to bounce back after a rough season with the Mavericks, but the Grizzlies will have to accept that his star reputation doesn't lead to star-level results anymore.

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