D'Angelo Russell Discussion: Adopting A Professional Attitude

How did I know Booker would be in this thread?

I'm not for a moment going to take away from what Booker did. That's incredible! That's one of the highest point totals ever in the NBA. Amazing. I'm not sure that Russell could do the same under the same circumstances.

But that doesn't compare the two players. If Russell was in Phoenix with nobody else on the floor, he'd be doing lofty statistical things as well. I don't know if it'd be 70 points, but it might be 15 threes or 15/15/15 games or something like that.

 

I thought one game don't mean s***.

 

What I liked about this game for Russell is how he can use this game to learn how to play off another player that's hot. Just like the 40 point game from D'Angelo himself, now he's got Clarkson blazing hot from outside so how else can D'Angelo affect the game? He went out and put up 15/3/6 with 2 steals. Not bad. It was sort of like Randle's 10/7/7 or whatever it was when D'Angelo was hot.

Good for him figuring out how to remain effective. That'll only get better over time.

 

http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/...nstagram-workout-girlfriend-practice-facility

Russ shoots after game.

 

19-5-3 on 44%-38%-74% shooting in his last 16 games.

 

This is exactly what comes to my mind when I hear chatter of saying we should think about moving him. It's also one of the things that keeps me up at night because I really want to see him with better teammates and what that might do to this team. Not to say I don't think highly of Ingram, Zu, Randle, and JC. It's just certain skillsets I think would greatly benefit Russell and Ingram and Zu I believe will get there some day but they aren't as polished yet.

 

If Randle/Clarkson/Top-3 aren't enough, then Indiana can just lose George in the summer. That's a hell of a package for a guy who could leave them anyway. Randle is a great fit with Turner. Clarkson can score 30 off the bench and that Top-3 pick could be a star in the league. They'd be stupid to pass that trade up unless they get a stronger offer elsewhere.

 

I'm closer and closer to being on the fence too just because none of the kids has shown enough value in this season to get a clear feel. All of our kids at various times have looked great and have looked dreadful so getting proper value in return might not happen. If I'm Larry, I ask for a lot and if I'm Magic/Rob, I don't give up a lot.

 

I hate that he misses things and thus isn't better than he is. He's still a valuable player.

Assuming Randle gets a similar deal to Clarkson, maybe slightly more due to his ceiling, you're talking about roughly 35-40 million in a Top-3 pick, Randle, Clarkson, and Turner for the next 3 years. Randle can ask for more, but he doesn't have a ton of room to argue value above that. Even assuming he gets a max extension (won't happen) That's less than 50% of the cap for what is ostensibly the team they're building around. It'd then be on Bird to shed Al Jefferson and Monta Ellis effectively. Thaddeus Young can either be kept or flipped for another young piece. He's still got value as a player. A starting point of Ball or Fultz/Clarkson/Young?/Randle/Turner is really solid, especially out East. It's just not good enough for us because the fan base is desperate for change and we have an opportunity to hit homeruns this summer.