National Basketball Association

Lakers Debate: Better Young Backcourt, Lakers or Minnesota Timberwolves?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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In our new series, we will be breaking down which franchise has the brighter future, the Los Angeles Lakers or the Minnesota Timberwolves?

The Los Angeles Lakers have constructed one of the most promising young cores in the league.

However, the title of most promising young team is a highly contested one in this era of the NBA. The Minnesota Timberwolves, in particular, have a group of players which may rival or even surpass the group the Lakers have collected.

Based on the recent history of these two teams, it’s easy to see why comparisons between them are made. While the Lakers are in possession of the players picked seventh, second and second respectively in the last three drafts, the Timberwolves have two number one overall picks alongside the number four pick in the most recent draft.

While those draft positions seem to give Minnesota a distinct advantage, the actual situation is more complicated than it appears on the surface. With both teams also finding valuable players later in the draft and differences between the types of players selected by each team, the question of which group is more promising is actually a difficult one to answer.

In order to discern which of these exciting young teams has the brighter future, the two team’s top young players will be compared position by position starting with their respective backcourts.

Point Guard: D’Angelo Russell Vs. Kris Dunn

The Lakers and Timberwolves possess a pair of the league’s most enticing young point guards in D’Angelo Russell and Kris Dunn. The style of each player, however, stands in stark contrast to one another.

Dunn is a hyper-athletic guard in the mold of John Wall, whose most NBA ready attribute is his tenacious defense. He’s a good finisher and passer, but his jump shot could use some work.

Russell, on the other hand, is a player who relies much more heavily on skill than he does athleticism. While he showed some promising explosiveness during Summer League, Russell’s game is built on his sweet shooting and elite vision. While Russell isn’t known as a stopper on defense, his length has allowed him to show potential on that end as a rookie.

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Russell, with his wide range of floaters, jumpers, and post moves, is definitely the more versatile scorer at this point. Although he has struggled at times to consistently make plays for his teammates, Russell’s passing skill is also a slight advantage over the more seasoned Dunn, who struggled with turning the ball over throughout his college career.

That being said, Dunn has clear advantages in both athletic ability and defense. He is the more explosive player, with elite straight line speed and quickness. Kris Dunn also projects as an extremely high level defender at the NBA level, evidenced by the two and a half steals he averaged as a senior at Providence College.

While the two players are at a similar level based on current ability, there is one other differentiating factor in play. While Dunn will enter his rookie season the same year Russell has his sophomore campaign, Dunn is still a full two years older than the Lakers’ floor general.

This means that Dunn, as a rookie, is three years older than Russell was when he was drafted. While age is not the most important factor in comparing players, the extra room for growth Russell’s age affords him is enough to put the Lakers over the top at this position.

Winner: Lakers

Shooting Guard: Jordan Clarkson vs. Zach LaVine

Although the two team’s employ very different point guards, their shooting guards are strikingly similar. Zach Lavine and Jordan Clarkson are extremely athletic, score first combo-guards, both of who are heading into their junior campaigns.

The numbers here are fairly similar as well, with both players having slight edges in certain areas. Clarkson for example, has scored more per game than LaVine, while the latter has been slightly more efficient. Both players struggle to leverage their athleticism on the defensive end, and while Clarkson is the more effective finisher, LaVine has had a bit more success shooting from outside.

LaVine is a few years younger than the Lakers shooting guard, which gives him a slight edge in a head to head comparison. However, considering Clarkson’s elite work ethic and the resilience he showed in overcoming his draft position, it’s difficult to determine which of them truly has the most upside. Clarkson has also spent more time as a starter, which means he has competed against top-level talent more than LaVine has at this point.

This position is extremely tough to call either way. Clarkson and LaVine are two players with very similar strengths and weaknesses, which makes it very difficult to find a clear advantage anywhere. While as a Laker fan I’d pick Jordan Clarkson over LaVine because of his intangibles and work ethic, LaVine’s age ultimately gives him the edge here.

Winner: Timberwolves (Barely)

Make sure to check back in later this week as we’ll be breaking down the battle of the front courts and reserves as well.

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