No. 3 – D’Angelo Russell – Guard – Ohio State – 19 years old
This pick is with Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor off the board and this would be the Sixers pick too. For me, the Sixers big board probably looks like: 1) Towns, 2a) Russell, 2b) Mario Hezonja and then Jahlil Okafor, Kristaps Porzingis and Emmanuel Mudiay right behind them. I’m sure as the draft gets closer we will see and hear more “Hezonja to the Sixers” reports but as it sits right now, D’Angelo ‘Voodoo’ Russell seems like the guy.
The Sixers have a need for the point guard position — unless you think Ish Smith is the future — and Russell has potential dynamic offensive player written all over him. Coming into the year, he was left off many people’s projected draft boards and top 100’s, but I thought he would be a late lottery pick and the second point guard taken in the 2015 draft. He has the length and size to be what fits as the now ‘prototypical’ point guard in today’s league and on top of that he has a silky smooth shot to go along with a jaw-dropping handles.
The Sixers point guard play has been primarily played by: Michael Carter-Williams, Tony Wroten, Tim Frazier, Isaiah Canaan and Ish Smith over the past two years. Each one seems to put up big stats and that seems more systematical than a reflection upon the actual player’s talent level. Drafting a point guard like Russell could really open up the floor for Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid next year.
Russell did not show an elite talent on defense, but he also wasn’t . The Sixers ranked 12th in defense this past year and adding Embiid could boost that even more. The Sixers wouldn’t mind gambling on an average or just below average player on the defensive end with Noel and Embiid anchoring that side of the court. Not only was Russell a monster offensively but he was very active on the boards. If we have learned anything from Michael Carter-Williams, Tony Wroten and Ish Smith it’s that Brown seems to push his point guards to grab the rebound and get out into transition.
Selection grade: A
Next: Pick No. 35