Is D'Angelo Russell on track to be a Superstar?
Questions remain in Los Angeles, none bigger than the development of their young talented guard.
The end of what was an very interesting season has ended for the Lakers finishing 26-56 (which is a 9 game improvement from last season by the way). What we expect in this offseason is all of the players in the young core will improve and develop their games, possibly working with each other during their off times and developing even more of a chemistry. However, one crucial question remains about one individual's development. And that is D'Angelo Russell. Russell (once Lou Williams left) was undoubtedly the Lakers' best player where at times he looked as if he will be an elite guard in this league one day, and then there are times where he just looks average to awful. With so many ups and downs, a debate has sparked amongst Laker fans if Russell was worthy for the #2 pick in the 2015 Draft and is Russell developing the right way, where he can become a superstar in this league. First we have to look at the qualifying circumstances. Regardless of what you think, the best arguments are within the analytics and the numbers.
Comparisons To Other Guards in His Draft
D'Angelo Russell was the first of seven point guards selected in the 2015 Draft. The other six were Emmanuel Mudiay (7th), Cameron Payne (14th), Terry Rozier (16th), Jerian Grant (19th), Delon Wright (20th), and Tyus Jones (24th). Since coming into the league, there has been only one of these guards that could rival Russell on who is so far having a better career and that would be Emmanuel Mudiay. In their first seasons, Russell averaged 13.1 points and 3.3 assist, playing a confusing role while at the same time taking a backseat to the aging Kobe Bryant on his way out. Mudiay averaged 12.8 points and 5.0 assist but was shooting one of the worst percentages in the league and averaging a bundle of turnovers. Now we have entered their second season, where it seemed Russell improved where Mudiay didn't. Russell finished the season averaging 15.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assist while Mudiay averaged 11.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.9 assist and again shooting one of the worst percentages in the league. Towards the middle half of the season, Mudiay lost his starting job to Jameer Nelson and then eventually fell out of Denver's rotation completely. So Russell easily wins that debate. One thing that separates Russell from the rest of his point guard peers is that he has not fell completely out of the rotation or has been traded. Can't say the same for Payne, Jones, Wright, or Grant. Though Terry Rozier has shown to be a decent backup in Boston.
Comparisons to Elite Guards of Today In Their Younger Years
In no way am I saying D'Angelo Russell is Stephen Curry or Kyrie Irving. I'm comparing their numbers when they were in their second season. So to start, Russell's second season as mentioned ended in 15.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assist but also with an incredible PER 36 stat of 19.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assist which makes Russell the second youngest player in NBA history to average those kinds of numbers - the youngest being LeBron James. Many believe Russell should already be a star but don't actually believe in development. Therefore, you have to use the question "Did any of the elite guards today start off the way they are now?" The question is no. Shove aside Chris Paul, he's the only exception. But let's took a look at James Harden who is currently in the MVP race. Harden in his second season averaged 12.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assist. I'll concur on this one, he was coming off the bench for Oklahoma City. Staying in Oklahoma City we move on to Russell Westbrook who averaged 16.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 8.0 assist in his second season - solid, not bad. And finally, I'll move on to Stephen Curry who averaged 18.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.0 assist - yes Curry was pretty good his second season but it took more development to get to where he is now. Which is the kind of patience Lakers fans need to have with D'Angelo Russell.
Clutch Factor
Since Kobe Bryant retired and Lou Williams was traded, the Lakers has desperately looked for a player that will close out their games well. Slowly but surely, D'Angelo Russell is becoming that player to rely on down the stretch in games. There is an interesting stat that fans should pay attention to, though Russell has not been in many clutch situations, he is shooting 67% in clutch moments and has recorded 4 go-ahead buckets, 2 game winners, 3 game daggers, and 2 game tying baskets. If there was ever a young player who was not afraid of that moment, it's definitely D'Angelo Russell. Not to say Devin Booker hasn't had moments like that and we seen Kristaps Porzingis bury a buzzer beater that didn't count.
Work Ethic
Don't let his at times dull personality and awkwardly slow feet movement fool you like it has done to the haters. D'Angelo Russell is a work horse and always looking to improve his game step by step. According to Luke Walton and Brian Shaw, before he leaves practice, Russell must make 1000 three pointers. Russell has also made it routine lately that after every game, win or loss he will go to the training facility at midnight and work on his game some more. Often times not getting enough sleep.
So to finish off the question at hand: Is D'Angelo Russell on track to becoming a super star talent? The answer is simply yes. All it takes for Russell to get there is consistency.