Jul 13, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell (1) dribbles the ball during an NBA Summer League game against the Knicks at Thomas & Mack Center. The Knicks won 76-66. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
D’Angelo Russell was only a few steps away from becoming a Philadelphia 76er. With the third overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, the Sixers could get just about whoever they wanted out of the top prospects, that is, if the first two teams didn’t steal the players they had their eyes on.
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That was exactly what ended up happening to Philly. The Los Angeles Lakers had a pick right before the Sixers, and took Russell, who the Sixers really wanted to draft. While the front office would probably deny it if you asked them, it’s been reported by credible analysts that the Sixers “settled,” for Jahlil Okafor. David Aldridge had this to say:
"The Sixers were hoping to take D’Angelo Russell with the third pick, but when the Lakers scotched those plans, Philly had to “settle” for Okafor, the consenus first-team All-American as a freshman for Duke who many had pegged as the first overall pick."
Our friends over at Section 215 also brought another aspect of the situation to light — the fact that Okafor had little desire to play for Philadelphia as well. Now, it’s being reported that this was basically a mutual disagreement for Okafor to come to the Sixers. They didn’t really want him, and he didn’t really want them, but they’re together now, and have to deal with it.
To me, sounds like the Sixers got a pretty good deal there. Having to, “deal with,” a rookie who will be able to start right out of the gate that led his team to a title in his freshman year of college? Yeah, the Sixers really lost there.
We know what we’re getting with Okafor. He brings a lot to the table offensively and will likely be the focal point of most offensive plays. His ability to post up, yet be athletic and have somewhat of a mid-range jumper, will work well in the NBA. We also know the flaws we’re getting, and how incredibly lazy he was on the defensive side of the ball last year.
What hasn’t been discussed all that often is the hypothetical. What if plans went exactly according to plan? What if Russell was passed up by the Lakers, and the Sixers got him, just like they wanted?
Next: Too Good For Three
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
Too Good For Three
Russell got taken second overall in the draft, and why not? SBNation did a great overview of his game against VCU in the March Madness tournament this year, and what went wrong, as well as what went right.
Simply put, Russell was too good to be passed up by the Lakers. The assumption that he would have fallen to number three was a faulty one to begin with, but to be fair, Okafor was projected to be the number one overall pick in the draft. Players don’t always end up where they should be as far as how good they are or the skills they possess. In the context of the tools teams are looking for, they could pass up or deny almost any player.
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If you didn’t watch much of Russell last season, take a look at these videos below. The first summarizes his ability to get inside, take matters into his own hands and score. The second highlights his heads-up mentality and passing abilities.
Russell is lanky, but a quick dribbler. His handles are often confusing to defenders, and leaving them in a daze trying to figure out how he got to score on them. 30% of his teammates field goals were assisted by Russell when he was on the floor last season, proving his ability to dish, but he can also take things into his own hands.
He shot 44.9% from the field, scoring 19.3 points per game. His ball handles allow him to get in close to the hoop, while not sacrificing his body, since there’s no need for him to get physical.
He also utilizes handles to go coast to coast and score.
The above example isn’t one of my favorites, because I felt Russell should have passed there. For the most part, he’s smart about passing, and knows when he should take control, and when to pass.
In this video, almost everyone — especially the Iowa defense — is completely unaware of the player cutting to the hoop. A heads-up guy, Russell sees this and feeds him the ball, in an impressive fashion. The player should have easily been able to finish this shot, but we can still marvel at the passing genius of D’Angelo Russell.
All of these skills will translate well to the NBA, and he’s going to fit in nicely wherever most of his career takes place. He’s set himself up nicely and acquired skills that allow him to be a high-statistic player.
Next: How Would He Fit In With The Sixers?
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
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Jahlil Okafor (Duke) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number three overall pick to the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Settling For Jah
This is all hypothetical, of course. Russell will be a Laker next season, and Okafor will be a Sixer. It’s weird to say that I’m disappointed Okafor is a Sixer, because I would trade him for Russell in a heartbeat. Although Okafor surely makes up for the loss of Embiid and his foot setback, and makes the Sixers one of the best front courts in the NBA, they’re lacking more in the back court.
Embiid will (hopefully) be on the court next season. One year without a dominant big man would have been fine, but a point guard is a clear cut need right now, and Russell could have filled that need to near-perfection.
That being said, things didn’t work out that well, and Jah was the next best guy for the Sixers, especially in the context of Embiid being put out for another entire year.
Like I said, I’m perfectly fine with having to “settle,” for one of the top prospects in the country.
Next: How Can The Sixers Sneak Into The Playoffs?
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