Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; D’Angelo Russell (Ohio State) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number two overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
How Would He Fit With The Sixers?
To say I’m upset the Sixers didn’t get Russell is an understatement. Listed as just a generic guard, he clearly works well in the point, asserting himself as a leader in Ohio.
Anyone who follows the Sixers knows about how pitiful the point guard situation is right now. No one player truly sticks out as a starter, and on almost any other team, all of the candidates to be the Sixers’ point guard would be reserves.
Russell could have solved this problem easily. His performances in Summer League were good, and he showcased his passing, shooting, and ball handling abilities well. The expectations were high for a number two pick, and he came through.
Although the Sixers’ roster is young, undeveloped, and arguably weak for an NBA roster, Russell would have been a bright spot that allowed for a successful season. The need for a point guard in the NBA is incredibly clear, and Russell could have been a player that allowed his teammates to get looks at shots.
In Ohio, Russell was constantly looking for his teammates, looking to get them looks to score. And if they weren’t there, he would take control himself and score. Truly, he was a great player for them, and I see this fitting in nicely with the developing Sixers.
If we add Russell’s points per game (19.3) and his teammates ten points gained off of Russell’s five assists per game, this gives the Buckeyes a grand total of 29.3 points per game brought about by Russell. The Buckeyes scored 75.3 points per game, so that means 38.9% of the Buckeyes offense went through Russell last year.
And remember, this assumes that all assists Russell gave out were two pointers, likely not the case. This is on a team that is in the top 7.4% of the league as far as points per game, too, so Russell was incredibly successful here.
Coming into a team that was next to last in points per game, last in offensive rating, and next to last in the simple rating system, it could have been a frustrating thing for Russell to walk into, but that’s a direct result of being a lottery pick.
It’s tough not to picture the possibilities of what Russell could do as a Sixer, but for now, we’ll have to settle for someone else at the point guard position.
Next: Settling For Jah