Post by Majic on Aug 30, 2021 12:39:26 GMT -5
D'Angelo Russell
PG
6-4
195
19
Ohio State
Russell stepped into the lineup at Ohio State and quickly emerged as the leader of the team on the court. An OSU team filled with underachieving seniors, Russell took over the reins and put his full range of skills on display to lead the team in scoring.
Russell can be a prolific scorer and can do it in a number of different ways. He has a natural fluidity to his game that allows him to drive to the basket on a regular occasion. Being a bigger PG in size, he uses that size to manipulate the defense to get open looks, shooting a fantastic 41% from three during his freshman season. Scouts have no worries when it comes to the offensive end of the court and they expect him to have an impact almost immediately.
However, don't let his scoring prowess fool you, Russell is a point guard at heart and has outstanding vision on the court. When needed, he can deploy a dominant passing game and create easy shots for his teammates. He can make the hardest of passes look easy as he dazzles the crowds and confuses the defense. While he won't be a turnover machine, Russell will have to learn to adapt to the speed of the defenders in TMBSL. A major step up in talent, he will have to be more mindful with the ball in his hands.
Russell won't be a plus rebounder but he will more than hold his own. His ability to drive to the basket on the offensive end puts him in good position to snag his fair share of offensive rebounds. However, it isn't expected that he will have the same impact on the defensive end however as he looks to start the break as quickly as possible.
Athletically, scouts agree that he is only average. He has good size and length but won't be the strongest player at his position, most consider him to have functional strength. Russell relies heavily on his smarts which helps negate any shortcomings he has athletically.
Given his age and the growth he showed in 1 year of college, scouts are very excited about Russell's future. His size and scoring ability mean he can play a number of positions and could grow into his body even more. With the right coaching, and mindset, Russell could blossom into the best player in this class.