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

I don't know, man. I guess we're not seeing the same qualities in him. I see great ball-handling, very high intelligence, ability to use an old man game, and giftedness to move the ball to the right player at exactly the right time. I see such poise and control of the game, especially in the biggest of moments. Now, none of those areas are at the level of the greats we're talking about, but I see seeds that my be on their way to blooming into some hybrid of those guys.

 

In some systems, he might be more NBA ready than Mudiay but I think he's a bigger project in terms of steps necessary for him to take his game to another level. Until he does, he's nothing special. Watching a few of their games lately, I've seen the ball get stuck in his hands at time. He takes too long to make the play and turns it over as a result (not a great sign for a half court offense). That's fixable, but in the NBA the defense comes at you 2x as fast. He needs to tinker with his shooting mechanics, he almost pushes the ball through the air with his left at times. He doesn't get to the line enough (despite racking up a couple of 10 FT games in the past month). Not sold on his attacking ability at the NBA level -- needs significantly more muscle. Also, haven't seen much from him defensively, frame will need work for that too.

Mudiay will be able to buy time for himself while he develops his jumper with his quickness and ability to get to the rim. So, in most systems I think Mudiay can make quicker progress than Russell.

 

This hits at my thoughts on it as well. He doesn't need superior athleticism to perform well in the NBA. Also, he is just 18, so I am not concerned about him being slim at this point. He is literally still a teenager. I think some of the man childs like Lebron makes us forget these guys are kids and some of them will actually still look like kids.

I also feel like most of the talk against him ignores the most important part, his actual results and performances on the court which blows away pretty much anyone not named Okafor at this point. I have also noted his ability to step up in big moments. That's one area of concern I have about Johnson as he has unfortunately struggled in 3 of the 4 games I have been able to watch him play including pretty bad nights against Utah and UCLA the last few weeks.

Everyone is certainly welcome to their opinion, but in this case I think the hype on Russell is well earned. There is just no way on earth I would take Johnson or Cauley-Stein over Russell. At this point, I would take him over Mudiay as well, but that could change once workouts start and we can see more of him.

 

Johnson can't finish at the hoop, Russell isn't an athlete and Mudiay can't shoot.I'm starting too think; I wouldn't trade it for of fell inside the top 3, but I'll tell you of you can produce an impact player/All Star out of that for me, I might just take it go back on what I said and trade this damn pick.

 

Sorry. . I am becoming more inclined to trade this pick no matter where we land...

 

LOL! Even though I am becoming more inclined to trade this pick, I'd take Russell over everybody except Towns and or Okafor. I am inclined to agree with your assessment, Elgin. More importantly, GMs, scouts, college experts who do this for a living agree with you, too.

Russell is going to a star, and you could gladly refer to my post when he is contending for ROY next year wherever he lands. I am not even going to touch the technical aspects of his game or how they will translate. I did tht earlier in this thread and I think most of us have our top 5 that we like for various reasons.

 

The more I think about the more I'm seeing the benefit of potentially flipping this pick provided it falls outside the top 3. Cousins, Butler, T. Harris, are all going to be making 3rd option money and give us the flexibility of A.) Improving the roster for next season with a known talent that would lead to more wins B.) Gives the ability to add 2 more max contracts (considering their not on a mega deal like Melo) C.) A recruiting tool for FA's than instead of just relying on cap space and the additional wins would make L.A. more attractive as well as a possible FA destination. It's not just the 3 players I mentioned...anybody locked into a rookie deal or coming up for an extension making $13-15 million.

I posted that in the DeMarcus Cousins thread;

 

I don't watch quite enough college ball to truly have a feel for who the Lakers should draft.

I like Okafor, caught him live a few times and he is phenomenal in the post. I do worry about his ability to protect the rim but everywhere else he is great.

I like the idea of Towns, haven't seen him live but he sounds like the anti-Okafor: rim protection, great defense, ability to step out and shoot, but doesn't have a consistent back to the basket game. It seems like he would be better suited to grow with Randle, but if Okafor is the better player you tale him and figure out fit later.

Mudiay is interesting, but the question is can he do what did in China against NBA players? Footage of him isn't easy to come by either, but then again D. Lillard played against inferior competition I'm college and is a superstar now.

Russell is intriguing too, and I've caught both good and bad games of his. I get the Stephen Curry comparisons, but I can't definitely say he's a superstar in the making.

I will say this though, as much as i don't trust Byron to make the right moves for the tank, I do trust Mitch and Jim to make the right selection should they keep the pick.

Whoever they go with I'll be happy.

 

Mike Schmitz @Mike_Schmitz · 6m 6 minutes ago
Karl Towns was shooting a ridiculous 87% from 2 w/ a 90.7 true shooting % in his last 5 before tonight. 8-of-12 with some huge plays tonight
Mike Schmitz @Mike_Schmitz · 3m 3 minutes ago
Towns posted a 72.7 true shooting % in all of February (8 games). Per 40 #s during that stretch: 20.9 PTS, 14.4 REBs, 3.4 BLKs & 2.8 ASTs.
Mike Schmitz @Mike_Schmitz · 14s 14 seconds ago
Talent not the question with Towns. Mobile big man with great length who can score inside/outside and protect the rim. In the mix for #1.

 

Im keeping my fingers crossed for towns/okafor. I think they can really boost a franchise. Russel and mudiay are good too, but I don't think they
will be the players okafor/towns will be.

 

Curry averaged 28.6 pts/gm coming out of college. He could end his career as the best shooter of all-time.

Your right, Russell's comparison with Curry starts and ends with their frame.

 

I want to add to my post by saying that non-athletic PGs need a certain set of assets to be great.

Players like Billups and Miller had the strength and frame. They played very close to the defender, keeping them in check with their shoulders/arms. Their body allowed them to absorb contact when slipping through screens.

Nash and Kidd were on another level because they had even more assets. Nash had spectacular footwork/craftiness (from playing soccer) and was a career 50/40/90 shooter. Kidd was arguably the closest thing we’ve ever seen to Magic (before Lebron) with his versatility. He could score, pass, rebound, and defend. A triple-double threat every single night.

Stephen Curry does not possess the strength, frame or athleticism of the aforementioned players. However, he is a prolific scorer. He could blow past defenders with average athleticism because his shot-making forces the defense to play honest.

Russell has none of these strengths, which is a red flag for averageness.