Lakers: Revisiting the D’Angelo Russell-Emmanuel Mudiay Debate

Emmanuel Mudiay got off to an early start, but it is Lakers’ rookie D’Angelo Russell who’s stealing the point guard rookie spot light

When it comes to basketball, the general rule of thumb is you don’t pass on a big for a small: “You can’t teach height.”

Moreover, if you are the Los Angeles Lakers, a team with an established reputation for finding success at the feet of dominant big men, you don’t pass on a “sure thing” for bang-or-bust lottery pick. However, that is exactly what they did when they passed on Jahlil Okafor and selected D’Angelo Russell in last June’s draft.

While the debate still rages over whether the Lakers should have taken Kristaps Porzingis over Russell, for Lakers fans, another interesting debate is the Emmanuel Mudiay-D’Angelo Russell showdown.

Prior to the draft, the Lakers were reportedly very intrigued by the athletic guard and with the two set to square off in just a few days, a midseason comparison must be made.

To start the year, Mudiay stole the rookie hype, boasting his athleticism and flashy play to draw in the masses. However, prior to going down to an ankle injury in December, Mudiay was slumping, seemingly hitting a rookie wall, ironically, a wall Russell was never able to hit due to his lack of play time.

Though the sample size is currently small, with Byron Scott finally waking up and deciding to start D’Angelo Russell for the remainder of the season, fans will finally get a less skewed comparison of the two guards.

Statistically Speaking

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/28/2016.

Quickly taking at look at their Per 36 stats, the number that seems to stand out is the differential in shooting percentage.

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Mudiay’s shot leaves much to be desired, shooting just under 27 percent from behind the arc with little signs of improvement. Russell, on the other hand has just begun to find his range and show people why he was such an effective scorer in college, averaging around 35 percent from distance, just below the league average.

On the contrary, many fans may be shocked to see the disparity in the assists numbers seeing how Russell was the consensus best passer in the country coming out of college.

While their numbers aren’t astronomically different, one thing that does set them apart is their minutes per game, and their number of games started. Russell is getting nearly 3 minutes less per game and has only started 26 contests compared to Mudiay’s 43, which would likely be 57 had he not missed 14 games due to injury.

However, the significance of that fact that Russell is still managing to put up comparable stats is magnified when you compare the situations the two find themselves in.

Comparing Current Situations

With the Denver Nuggets, Mudiay for the most part has been given free reign to run the offense and has been given ample opportunity to do just that. Starting in all but two of the games that he has played in, Mudiay is also playing meaningful minutes down the stretch.

Playing around 30 minutes a game, Mudiay is being coached similar to how Byron Scott coached Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving in their rookie seasons and his high turnover rate attests to this. Sure, some players can learn by watching games from the bench, or studying tape in the film room, but nothing can match up to the learning experience that is playing in an NBA game.

D’Angelo Russell on the other hand, in addition to being expected perform immediately under the bright lights of LA, has had to deal with Kobe Bryant‘s farewell tour paired with the horror that is Byron Scott‘s coaching.

At times, Russell’s inconsistent usage has even seemed to take a toll on his once unwavering confidence. The old adage is, it doesn’t matter if you start games, it matters if you finish, and Russell missed out on ample time early in the season that can never be regained.

Way Too Early Conclusion

When comparing athleticism, Russell is no where near the specimen that Mudiay is but his basketball IQ is his saving grace.

With that in mind, aside from Russell Westbrook and the Derrick Rose of old, the majority of the elite point guards rely on wit rather than athletic prowess.

When the body goes, the mind has to carry you, just ask Kobe, and this is one thing that D’Angelo Russell already seems to have a firm grip on.

Whenever players discuss when they made the leap from being an impact player to ultimately becoming a star, they talk about how the game seems to “slow down.” D’Angelo Russell already seems to possess this skill and it’s almost uncanny for a 19 year old to have such poise.

Mudiay is by no means a slouch, he will very likely develop into a well rounded scoring point guard once he polishes his jump shot, but as of now, Russell seems to be leaps and bounds ahead of his counterpart despite his current, less than desired, situation with the Purple and Gold.

Next: Byron Scott Question's Russell's Leadership Qualities

Who do you think has a brighter future of the two rookie guards: D’Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay? Let us know in the comments below.