Lakers' Byron Scott 'didn't think Mudiay was a guy who made great decisions'
When the Los Angeles Lakers selected D'Angelo Russell with the second overall pick in June's NBA Draft, it wasn't just a statement that they believed in Russell more than young bigs like Jahlil Okafor and Kristaps Porzingis.
It was also the Lakers affirming their belief that the Ohio State product would be a superior NBA point guard to Emmanuel Mudiay, who spent his final season of pre-draft eligibility playing pro ball in China before the Denver Nuggets selected him seventh overall.
With the Lakers set to host Denver on Tuesday, all eyes will be on the first of many Russell-Mudiay matchups, and Lakers head coach Byron Scott didn't mince words when asked about the point guard L.A. rejected.
Scott said when Lakers worked out Mudiay he “didn’t think he was a true point guard” & “didn’t think he was a guy who made great decisions.”
— Bill Oram (@billoram) November 2, 2015
It will take years to determine whether the Lakers made the right selection with the No. 2 pick. For now, the early season sample sizes show both guards are finding it incredibly difficult to adjust to life in the NBA.
| Player | MPG | PPG | eFG% | AST/TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mudiay | 30.3 | 12.7 | 39.3 | 16/19 |
| Russell | 25.3 | 9.0 | 43.3 | 5/5 |
While Mudiay's propensity to turn the ball over certainly lends credence to Scott's comments, his assertion that he didn't think Mudiay was a true point guard is somewhat confounding given that Mudiay is seen as more of a pure, passing point guard than Russell.