2015 Nba Draft Discussion: Russell, Nance Jr., Brown

I literally laughed out loud when they show the chart with Post Ups vs. Points Per Possession. Howard's spot on that chart is fantastic.

The Al Jefferson comparison is definitely the most apt. I don't know if Okafor will ever really "get it" on the defensive end, but he could. Maybe he develops a little better as a rim protector as time goes on or maybe he just figures out how to play good team defense without getting off the floor too much. Who knows? I still take him #1 though without question. I think his game offensively is just too strong and the one point where I disagree with that breakdown is on the boards. I think Okafor has a shot at being a real controller of the glass. He does a terrific job of using his body to box out instead of relying on athleticism.

Okafor has a real old-school vibe to his game. At 6'11" he's got a strong post game and he's strong on the glass. He and Randle would make the best 1-2 punch down there for years to come if we are lucky enough to jump to the #1 spot.

 

I think that if we end up with the #1 pick and draft Okafor, we'll find a way to bring Tyus Jones with him. They're good friends and Tyus should be available near our pick in the 20s. We could find a way to move up or down a little to accommodate that move.

 

I'm with you. I think he can be a decent enough defender. I think his problems getting up high will keep him from ever being a great help-side defender, but he can be a good player without being a great defender. He and Randle offensively would be something else to watch man. Throw in some shooters and these guys could work the paint for a decade and a half.

 

So it's a slow day at the office. I'm watching some highlight reels of the Top 5 guys. There's not much to learn from them, but you can watch some things. Footwork, decision making (even on made baskets), vision on both sides of the ball, body position on rebounds and things like that. Obviously you won't catch their faults, but I'm seeing good things from all the top guys.

Okafor- the obvious: he's smart, knows basketball like the back of his hand, rebounds well, great footwork and body position. Almost no ability to contain quick guards on the perimeter. He's going to struggle defending the pick and roll. The team will need to build a defense to help support him.

Towns- keeps developing at a solid pace, footwork is improving, defense is solid, but MAN he needs lower body work. He's constantly off balance. If he fills out and stays healthy, he could be one of the better big men in the NBA.

Russell- Not strong, but pretty shifty. Great vision with the ball, good feel for the rim. Still concerned about his strength and ability to find separation in the NBA. NBAdraft.net has him as comparable to Ginobili, I think that's a great ceiling for him although I see more Kevin Martin with better court vision.

Johnson- Lacks explosion and makes some shots at the college level that won't fly in the NBA. Still a terrific defender and solid in the open court. Once he gets a jumper, he's going to be a solid SF for years and years in the NBA.

Mudiay- Tough to tell, the games in China are obviously too slow for him. Decision making isn't always great. Incredible athlete though and has a good feel for the game. Better vision than given credit for and he'll definitely be able to cut/finish at any level of basketball. Needs a lot of work on the jumper.

 

Stockton, Kidd, and Nash were supremely gifted at moving the ball. I don't think he's on their level. Chris Paul might not jump very high or run very fast, but his quickness shows great athleticism. I don't think Russell has his vision either and it's not a great comparison as far as injury history goes... wouldn't want him to be that kind of player. Billups and Miller are extremely intelligent and they used that to their advantage. Even in their younger years they played an "old man" game. I don't know if Russell has that.

I see Russell more in the Ginobili mold. A guy with decent athleticism but mostly shiftiness as opposed to explosive. He's more of a shooter/scorer than a true PG, but he's got PG skills and good vision. Lefty with a propensity to go that direction and finish with that hand. Ginobili I think is his ceiling, but his floor is fairly low.

He's rail thin first of all and I don't know that he has the ball-handling of Nash and Stockton to stave off defenders despite his slight frame. He doesn't get off the ground much on his jumpers and his motion isn't that consistent (albeit usually fruitful despite that). It's not just that he's skinny, but he doesn't have a lot of frame to build on either. Curry has shown you can be rail thin, relatively weak, and not a supremely gifted athlete and still be effective... but is Russell the next Curry?

I think he's good and I think in the right situation he'll have a solid NBA career. Right now though he's my 5th choice and it's not really that close. In fact I would consider making him 6th behind Cauley-Stein. Okafor, Towns, Mudiay/Johnson, Russell/Cauley-Stein. That's my Top 6 and I think it's pretty well set in that order.