The Philadelphia 76ers’ Draft season is in full swing, and the team has the third-best odds of landing the first overall pick in a couple of weeks. If they can’t grab a top-two pick and take Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns, they’ll likely be in line for one of the draft’s two elite point guard prospects: Emmanuel Mudiay or D’Angelo Russell. Trevor Magnotti and Patrick Koerbler debate the merits of either player for the Sixers to draft.
Trevor Magnotti: With the Philadelphia 76ers in line for what appears is going to be the third, fourth or fifth pick in the draft, the Sixers have the option of drafting one of two really quality guard prospects: Emmanuel Mudiay of the Guangdong Tigers, and DeAngelo Russell of Ohio State. Both are intriguing playmakers. I know you’re a Russell fan, but Mudiay is the guy the Sixers would get the most out of. What the Sixers have needed most over the past two seasons is a playmaker who can consistently create offense for both himself and his teammates. The Sixers have seemed to be cycling through guys who can only score (Tony Wroten) or only create for others (Ish Smith), and Mudiay would give them a great point guard prospect who can do both of those things. He’s a beast in transition, scores at the rim with ease, is a great distributor, and projects as a good defensive point guard as well. He’s the perfect type of player to add to the Sixers’ backcourt. Do you agree? What do you like/dislike about Mudiay?
Patrick Koerbler: I agree that Mudiay is an absolute terror in transition, and that’s something that’s really intriguing for the a team like the Sixers who like to get out and run. Probably the thing that excites me most about Mudiay is his play off the pick-and-roll. He’s apt at getting to the rim, but he’s a very willing, natural passer too. He still needs some polish as he’s prone to turnovers, but that isn’t anything abnormal for a young PG.
What worries me about Mudiay is two different things. Firstly, he really struggles as a shooter on all levels. It’s possible that he can improve, but after years of seeing the Sixers drafting guards like Evan Turner and Michael Carter-Williams and hoping that they’ll learn to shoot, I’m a little gun-shy on drafting another guy with the same problem. Also, with Embiid and Noel, the primary focus should be surrounding them with as many good shooters as possible.
Secondly, I question Mudiay’s athleticism. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a very good athlete, but that’s all he is — very good. Before ever seeing film of Mudiay, I read that he was an elite athlete in the Derrick Rose or John Wall mold. But after seeing him in high schoo All-Star games and China games, I think he’s a level below them. For me that’s a big deal, especially when you consider his lack of a jumper.
Maybe I’m missing something, do you see the elite athleticism when you watch Mudiay?
Trevor: I think it’s true that he’s less athletic than prime Rose or Wall. That’s an issue given his play style as a probing and slashing point guard. However, I don’t know that those are the players I’d say are the most accurate comparisons for Mudiay. I’d say Mudiay is more Westbrook, Rondo, or Kyle Lowry, because while he’s not the explosive athlete that we see with today’s elite point guards, the guy is an absolute bull in the lane. Mudiay is so strong, so good at finishing through contact and drawing fouls, that he has a great future as a scoring point guard at the rim, even if his three-pointer never develops, like Russ or Lowry are. It also helps that he’s 6’5″ with a 6’9″ wingspan, because that length will help him compensate for not being as explosive. He’s still got a good first step, also and that’s enough for the style he’s going to play. So, to answer your question, I still think Mudiay has solid athleticism, I just think it’s a different type of athleticism than what we conventionally think of in today’s uber-athletic points.
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The shooting thing is something I can’t argue, because he’s been horrendous. However, plenty of point guards have overcome poor outside shooting with the things Mudiay is good at – using that space to create and being automatic inside. I think that Mudiay can get to be a great point guard even if he never improves his shot, and given that he’s just 19, it’s a safe bet that he’ll be able to at least add a passable mid-range jumper. So I’m fine with him not being able to shoot now, because the Sixers have other shooters, and need the playmaking for teammates far more.
That’s one of the biggest draws of Mudiay for me; while it would be nice for the Sixers to have Russell’s shot-making ability to carry the offense, Mudiay’s passing would open up more for everyone, especially Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid. I value that more on a young team with unproven shooters than I do adding someone who would sort of bail them out like Russell. And I say this as someone who loves Kyrie Irving, who I think Russell is more akin to. Is that shot creating ability the big draw for you with Russell?
Patrick: It’s certainly one of the main draws. What I really like about Russell, maybe not the most but something that I isn’t looked at enough, is his versatility. From a size and length standpoint, he’ll able to play both the one and two. Just as importantly, from a skill standpoint he’ll be able to play the one and two. When building this Sixers team forward, being able to play Russell at both guard spots would be extremely valuable.
When you look closer at his skills, obviously his main strength is his elite shooting ability. Whether off the dribble or with his feet set, he’s an absolutely deadly shooter. But what really excites me is his pick-and-roll play. While he doesn’t have the athleticism or the first step that Mudiay has to really get into the lane, he’s already a good ball-handler (although his right hand is still a work in progress) and he’s a crafty passer. The potential of a Russell/Embiid pick-and-roll combo is really exciting.
The concerns about his athleticism are legitimate though. He struggles to finish around the basket, and who knows how he’ll fare when facing more athletic defenders night in and night out. That’s not even mentioning his poor play defensively. Is the lack the of athleticism your main concern with Russell, or do you question more if he’s capable of being a legitimate point guard?
Russell averaged shooting 54.7 percent from two and 46.6 percent from three against non-Power-5 teams and Power-5 teams under .500, and 43.1 percent from two and 33.6 percent from three against Power-5 conference teams above .500.
Trevor: Russell can definitely be a point guard if that’s what he’s asked to do, and that versatility sets him apart from other first round point guard prospects like Mudiay and Tyus Jones. He can handle the ball plenty, but he can also spot up off the ball and potentially defend twos, which he’s going to need in Philly playing next to Tony Wroten and potentially Ish Smith. Russell also is a great threat in the pick-and-roll like Mudiay, which is a draw for me as well because I want whoever the Sixers draft to be able to compliment Noel.
My major concerns with Russell aren’t really athleticism or point guard skill related. I think he’s fine at both, and because of his other potential skills, he would still be fine even if he’s not at Mudiay’s level at either. I mostly question his consistency, something the Sixers really, really need. Russell averaged shooting 54.7 percent from two and 46.6 percent from three against non-Power-5 teams and Power-5 teams under .500, and 43.1 percent from two and 33.6 percent from three against Power-5 conference teams above .500.
Russell really struggled against elite competition (As showcased in his meltdown against Arizona in the tournament), and that’s something I really am concerned about with him at the next level. The Sixers will be looking at Russell to be a stabilizing force for their offense, and need him to bring his A game most nights. Can he do that consistently at the next level?
It’s also worth mentioning that Russell isn’t as consistent, or as sound, on the defensive end as Mudiay is. For a defense-oriented team, that’s something that definitely gives Mudiay an edge, because he’s more technically skilled and gives more consistent effort. And that points back to the biggest overall difference between Mudiay and Russell, for me; Mudiay fits what the Sixers want and need on both ends of the floor. He fits what they want from their point guard defensively, in that he can guard multiple positions, is sound against isolations, and is a decent help defender. Offensively, he will be able to get the other offensive weapons going with his playmaking ability, could be a pick-and-roll demon with Noel, and he’s more consistent on both ends than Russell. He just fits what I want for Philadelphia more than Russell does. How do you feel about the fit of both players, in terms of roster fit?
Patrick: Russell’s performances against better competition is something that is definitely concerning, but it comes back to the Ohio State team he was playing on. Probably one of the least talented Ohio State teams of the Thad Matta era, as Russell had barely any help. Honestly, I think it’s understandable that he’d struggle when facing superior teams. Still concerning, but an understandable concern in my opinion.
When looking at Mudiay and Russell, they both fit well with what the Sixers are looking for. I would be happy with either of them. They both do a lot of things well, but if Mudiay isn’t an uber-athlete, I just can’t get past his jumper. If I’m Sam Hinkie (SPOILER: I am not), my ideal scenario is to put three good shooters around Embiid and Noel. I want to give them as much room as possible to operate in the post.
Trevor: That’s fair, as this team definitely couldn’t shoot last year, and you always want good shooters on a team built around its inside presence offensively. Ultimately, though, I think it just comes down to what you value more from your point guard in the Sixers’ offense. I want playmaking and defense, which is why I lean Mudiay. You want shooting and spacing, which means Russell’s your pick. If it comes down to a pick between the two of them, there are great cases and drawbacks to either, and those positives, in either case, far outweigh any negatives to drafting a point guard with the Sixers’ first pick this year.