D’Angelo Russell vs. James Harden
Harden’s Per-36 Minutes Averages: 15.6 points, 2.8 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 2.2 turnovers, 40.3 FG%, 37.5 3P%
One of the more interesting comparisons to Russell coming into the draft and throughout this season considering his role coming off of the bench for the Lakers is current Houston Rockets All-Star and former Oklahoma City Thunder sixth man James Harden. Coming out of Arizona State, Harden was looked at as a lethal scorer with great physical gifts, but his upside beyond being that was always put into question.
We all know what Harden has developed into now as an offensive talent and—when he feels like trying—in terms of his potential as a defensive player. As a rookie in OKC alongside a still-developing Westbrook and Durant, though, Harden wasn’t asked to dominate the ball like he does in Houston and wasn’t asked to carry the load hardly at all. Rather, he was meant to be a spark off of the bench with his offensive talents.
While Byron’s intentions for Russell coming off of the bench are much less apparent than they were for Harden in OKC, the roles that they play/played are quite similar. Harden was asked to play with players who were always going to be the primary option ahead of him and, whether it’s the smart decision or not, Russell finds himself in that situation all too often when he’s on the floor for the Lakers.
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But what’s most intriguing about the comparison to Harden other than their similar roles and production in those roles is what Harden has looked like after the chains were ultimately taken off. While part of that is obviously development, it also has a lot to do with him being able to take control and unleash his full arsenal of offensive talents on opponents. Russell may not be James Harden, but there has to be optimism that he could explode like Harden once he’s set free for the Lakers.