Lakers News: Luke Walton Compares D’Angelo Russell to Stephen Curry and More

The Los Angeles Lakers don’t start their 2016-17 season until Oct. 26, but there is plenty of news circulating around one of the NBA’s marquee franchises.

The 16-time champions have a new coach in Luke Walton, and he is finalizing his overall roster and eventual rotation as the preseason draws to a close. He also recently compared D’Angelo Russell to Stephen Curry, which should have Los Angeles fans teeming with anticipation for the second-year player to hit his prime.

With that in mind, here is a look at some of the news surrounding the Lakers as they attempt to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 campaign. 

Luke Walton Sees Parallels Between Russell and Curry

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Russell is the future of the franchise alongside rookie Brandon Ingram, and his new coach already sees similarities between the 20-year-old playmaker and the reigning two-time MVP.

Walton said of Russell, per Shahan Ahmed of Yahoo Sports: “He can shoot the heck out of the ball. He sees the game. He has a nice flash about him when he gets going.” Ahmed noted he asked Walton if he saw the similarities between the two players, which prompted the response and means the coach didn’t freely offer the comparison.

That is an important qualifier because it’s far too early to start comparing Russell to arguably the best player in the NBA. The Ohio State product showed flashes as a rookie on his way to 13.2 points per night behind 35.1 percent shooting from three-point range, but Curry is in a class of his own.

Russell also scored 33 points against the Denver Nuggets and 31 points against the Sacramento Kings during the preseason and appears to be assuming more of a leadership role on the floor …

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