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 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

Russell is the future of the franchise alongside rookie Brandon Ingram.

Shahan Ahmed of Yahoo Sports asked Walton if he sees parallels between Russell and Curry, which prompted the following response: "He can shoot the heck out of the ball. He sees the game. He has a nice flash about him when he gets going." 

It’s far too early to start comparing Russell to 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 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 with the ball in his hands.

Like Curry, he is versatile enough to play as a point guard and facilitate the offense or on the wing as someone who works off screens to create openings. 

Still, Curry made a ridiculous 402 three-pointers a season ago on his way to averaging 30.1 points per night. Russell may one day live up to that lofty standard, but comparing him to the dominant playmaker will likely just put additional pressure on his shoulders as he attempts to lead the Lakers back to relevancy.

Nick Young Playing His Way into Possible Rotation Spot

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The Lakers have a crowded rotation on the wing, but Walton said Nick Young could earn some playing time if he continues to thrive in the preseason, per Serena Winters of LakersNation.com: "The way he’s playing right now it’s going to make decisions tough."

Young has impressed in five preseason contests:

Opponent	Result	Points	Three-Point Shooting
Denver Nuggets	101-97 Loss	6	2-of-3
Denver Nuggets	124-115 Win	14	2-of-5
Portland Trail Blazers	109-106 Loss	14	4-of-7
Sacramento Kings	116-104 Loss	9	3-of-4
Golden State Warriors	112-107 Loss	17	3-of-6

The scoring numbers are encouraging, but his three-point marksmanship is what really stands out. Opposing defenses are going to collapse on Russell’s penetration and Julius Randle on the post, which will theoretically open up looks on the wing for the likes of Young, Jordan Clarkson, Luol Deng and Lou Williams.

That is a lengthy list of playmakers, and it doesn’t even include the highly touted Ingram. The No. 2 overall pick checks in as a versatile 6'9" threat who can play small forward or power forward in more athletic lineups.

Young struggled last season on his way to a career-low 7.3 points per game. He wasn’t the same scorer who poured in 17.9 points per night in 2013-14 and followed that up with 13.4 points per game in 2014-15. The preseason results so far indicate last season may be an aberration if he finds his scoring touch again.

He will have to continue performing once the games count in the standings if he wants consistent playing time, because there are plenty of options to take his place on the perimeter.

Latest on Roster Battle

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The Lakers must trim the roster down to 15 before the regular season, and Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report said the battle for the final spot will come down to Yi Jianlian and Thomas Robinson.

Pincus said he doesn’t think Metta World Peace will make the cut and pointed to Yi’s trade-friendly contract as one reason the big man will make the team. According to Spotrac, his deal is for one year and $8 million, but $6,860,877 is in the form of an incentive bonus.

Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors said Yi is "likely holding the edge due to his guarantee ($250K) and his incentive-heavy, trade-friendly contract" after the team waived camp invitees Zach Auguste, Julian Jacobs and Travis Wear.

Yi entered the league with plenty of hype as the No. 6 overall pick in the 2007 draft. He played for the Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets, Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks and averaged just 7.9 points per game. He last appeared in a contest in 2012 for Dallas.

While he hasn’t made an impact at the NBA level for quite some time, he did score an impressive 20.4 points per game at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro for China against solid international competition.

Assuming the 7-footer does make the roster, he can contribute on the boards and stretch the floor as a potential matchup problem. Yi shot 33.3 percent from three-point range during his earlier NBA tenure and could take advantage of some openings if opposing defenses pay additional attention to Russell and Ingram.