EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- D'Angelo Russell bounced back from what he dubbed an "average" performance in the Los Angeles Lakers' preseason opener, finishing with 21 points (7-of-14 shooting), 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 turnovers and a steal in 24 minutes in the team's 101-97 preseason loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday.

Following the game, coach Luke Walton offered constructive criticism of Russell's performance, claiming the second-year point guard still needs to master the delicate balance of reading an NBA defense and deciding the proper time to shoot and pass out of pick-and-roll sets.

"He struggled a little bit early because he really is trying to do the right thing, do what we're asking him," Walton told reporters after the loss. "But at this level, there's a fine line of doing what the coaches want and playing off feel. The guy has got a phenomenal feel for the game. So a lot of picks he was coming off, he was trying to play make even though he was open for the shot.

"So what we're trying to tell him is, any time you're open, shoot it. We want you to play make, we want you to get everyone involved from the point guard position. But when you're coming off screens and you're open, the best way to make that defense pay is to shoot. He's one of the best shooters we have."

Despite Russell's advanced feel of the game, he struggled scoring out of the pick-and-roll last season, shooting just 38.3 percent and ranking in the 36th percentile among qualified pick-and-roll ball-handlers, according to NBA.com/stats.

Once Russell subbed out of Friday's game toward the end of the first quarter, the coaching staff reminded him to be more aggressive, and Walton noticed a stark change in Russell's decision-making.

After the conversation, Russell scored 13 points (4-of-8 shooting), got to the free throw line for his only trips of the night (making 3-of-4), and dished out a couple of assists.

"I think when he got back in for the second time from that point on, he was really good tonight," Walton said. "He was aggressive."

Walton reiterated his stance at practice on Saturday.

"I actually think he did a great job of it in that game," Walton said. "He made that adjustment from his first run to when he got back throughout the game."

Russell views the matter from a different perspective. He felt as if he was taking what the defense was giving him, and that the Lakers exploited the Nuggets' pick-and-roll coverage while he was running the offense.

"It's trust in my teammates," Russell said. "If one play is working all game, your teammates have to realize we should stick with it. In this league, it's all about simplicity. Yesterday their pick-and-roll defense wasn't getting it done for them, and we exploited it and made plays out of it."

Russell was demonstrably more assertive in penetrating and shooting out of pick-and-rolls during Saturday's practice, knifing his way through the lane and either scoring at the rim or drawing fouls on several possessions.

"He was fine today," Walton said. "There wasn't a lot of opportunities for that in our practice plan."

Walton added that the key isn't Russell necessarily hunting for his shot more, but observing how a team is defending the Lakers' pick-and-rolls, and then exploiting the holes in that game plan.

"It wasn't being more aggressive. It was just getting better at recognizing what the defense is giving you," Walton said. "If the defense isn't giving you the shot, then we don't want you shooting the ball.

"But the way Denver was playing, a lot of their bigs were dropping way back and D'Angelo is one of our best scorers. So if that's the case, if he shoots 20 times at the end of the night, we're fine with that because we think those are good shots."

Given the pressure and expectations Russell faces while transitioning into being the face of the Lakers in the post-Kobe Bryant era, Walton acknowledges that such nuanced offensive concepts will take time to fully grasp and implement.

"It's got to be challenging," Walton said. "He's [20 years old]. He's the starting point guard for the L.A. Lakers. I think he's naturally a scoring point guard. I think that's who he is naturally as a player, but he wants to win. He's willing to play the right way and willing to play how the coaches ask him to play, which is to move the ball and get it out of your hands and then get off some screens and turn in the weak-side shooter.

"All of these things, he's willing to do right now. I think it gets tough when you're that young and you're still learning how to do it all to combine and to know when to do each one. We'll stay on him about it."