Scouting Report - D'Angelo Russell

Name: D’Angelo Russell DOB: 2/23/1996 (19) School: Ohio State

Height: 6’5 Weight: 193 Projected Position: PG/SG

Wingspan: 6’9.75 Standing Reach: 8’6

2014-15 Stats:

19.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 5.0 apg, 1.6 spg, 2.9 tpg, 1.7:1 A/TO (33.9 mpg)

44.9 FG%, 75.6 FT%, 41.1 3FG%, 57.3 TS%, 54.1 eFG%

30.2 USG%, 30.1 AST%, 14.8 TOV%, 2.8 STL%

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SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN

Offense

Perimeter Shooting

Russell is a very good perimeter shooter, with a very unorthodox style. He has the ability to hit his jumper off the catch or dribble, and with range around the NBA three-point line. Russell’s has an extremely quick shooting motion and release, though his release point is a bit low, making it necessary, even with a size advantage over some defenders, to clear space. The low shooting point also necessitates Russell’s almost snap-release, as well as his decision to shoot the ball often with very little space, and when he’s not really square to the basket, which is one of his biggest assets, as well as causing some of his biggest shooting issues. Still, he hit almost 100 threes last season, at over 41 percent, so there is a lot there that works for him, though there has to be some concern with finding the space he needs with longer NBA defenders. Russell does use his dribble very well to create space, as well as using screens, both as a pick-and-roll ballhandler and moving off the ball. Calling Russell’s shot selection poor may be an understatement, though I do realize that Ohio State did have some offensive issues; there still wasn’t much of an excuse for many of his shot attempts. He has a tendency to force jumpers when closely guarded, and as mentioned, he doesn’t always get square to the basket. Left-handed, Russell has shown the ability to hit his jumper off the dribble going in either direction, and he does a very good job stopping quickly and going straight up for a shot, often before his defender has recovered. He can be a strong mid-range shooter off the dribble, using screens in pick-and-roll situations to create space, or coming tightly off of screens around the elbows. Russell moves very well without the ball, using multiple moves and screens when needed, and coming off tight ready to shoot. Another area Russell needs to improve is developing a better short jumper or floater, especially as I’ll note below, he has trouble finishing at the rim, and his control can be iffy as he makes a move to the basket.

Ballhandling/Penetration/Passing

Russell is an excellent ballhandler, with the ability to use both hands well, and able to attack the basket, or create space for his jumper, in either direction. Russell doesn’t have great speed or quick first step to the basket, but his shooting ability forces defenders to come out tight on him, and he does a very good job using his dribble to create space. He has a very good hesitation/change-of-pace dribble to create separation, as well as a crossover which has left some defenders reeling, and while he doesn’t have great acceleration off the dribble, he finds ways to get by defenders. Russell’s ballhandling ability can be so good that he draws fouls on the perimeter just from constantly getting defenders off-balance. Russell goes stronger to the basket when going to his left, though it doesn’t matter all that much since he has a lot of trouble finishing around the basket, not just with long defenders there, but any solid defense at the rim. He has a tendency to try and just flip the ball up towards the rim instead of going strong at the basket, and often he can’t create the separation he needs from defenders, so he ends up shooting from outside the lane as well as trying to force shots. If Russell can get into the defense, he can be sloppy with his dribble, and he doesn’t have the control or agility to avoid help defenders ready to take a charge. Russell did a tremendous job as a pick-and-roll ballhandler, with the ability to find, or create, his own shots or set up his teammates, either rolling to the rim or spotting up on the perimeter. He can be very dribble-happy, even when he has a screen, bouncing in different directions as he tries to create more space. He has shown some patience with the ball, drawing defenders and waiting for things to develop, and making good reads, though he is just as likely to launch a jumper as soon as he has space. There’s no denying Russell has great court vision and can be a very good passer, but he can force things too often, such as trying to weave passes into tight spaces where even if his teammate caught the ball, he wouldn’t be in a good position for a shot. Also, he has a bad tendency to throw no-look passes often, even on simple ball movement around the perimeter, and defenders can find ways to get their hands on the ball. When he makes good decisions, there may not have been many better passers in college basketball, but there were just too many bad choices that went with them.

Free Throw Shooting

Russell is an average free throw shooter, with a consistent routine and motion, and normally, a good release and follow-through. Like his jumper, Russell goes through his free throw shooting motion quickly, with the same fast, somewhat low release. The lower release point can make his shot have more of a line-drive effect, often leading to shots hitting the front of the rim, or even if he does get the ball up, there often isn’t a chance for a friendly bounce. Russell doesn’t look to get to the basket nearly as often as he shoots jumpers; almost three-quarters of his total shots were from the perimeter, so he doesn’t get to the free throw line as often as he could, with a free throw rate of just below thirty for every hundred field goal attempts. Even when he looks to get to the basket, Russell rarely goes straight at the rim, often making it tough to draw contact, though his unorthodox play in many facets does cause defenders to foul him when he is on the perimeter.

Defense

Perimeter Defense (On/Off Ball)

Russell is a below-average defender, on and off the ball, though he could improve some immediately with a more consistent effort. At 6’5, with a near 6’10 wingspan, he should be capable of defending either guard position. Some of Russell’s poor defensive tendencies were able to be masked with Ohio State playing a lot more zone defense than they normally would. On the ball, Russell positions himself well between his man and the basket, and shows average lateral movement over short distances, but he has slow feet and he can be slow to react to his man’s movements, especially changes in direction. Even moving to the ball in the zone, there was little urgency to get to the ball in his area. Though his lateral movement should show some improvement, he has a tendency to reach at the ball as his man looks to drive at him, often leaving him off-balance, and eventually, out of the play. If he does get beat, he often makes little effort to recover, instead leaving it to his teammates, though he will then look to get into position to rebound a missed shot. While his length can be disruptive, he needs to get his arms out more while guarding the ball, at least to make it difficult for his man to pass or get by him or putting him in better position to affect a shot attempt. Russell needs to work on getting over screens, instead of going under screens or relying on switches to help him, though when he is locked in on his man, he shows the agility to slip over them. Off the ball, Russell positions himself well and shows better movement, especially when he looks to deny passing lanes. He can be caught cheating too often as a help defender, and while he has good instincts, he can end up out of position completely with his desire to try and make a play. Russell does have a good ability to jump passing lanes, though again, in his desire to try and make a play, a simple fake can draw him out of position. Russell’s length can help him close on shooters on the perimeter, but he can be slow to get out to them.

Rebounding

Russell is a very good rebounder for his size and position, tracking shots well and having good instincts for the ball. He does a good job getting into position and he goes strong after the ball, sometimes going up against bigger players. His defensive rebounding numbers were skewed a bit because of the many long rebounds he got due to perimeter shots in the zone defense, but he showed a willingness to do what he needed to. You won’t get much from Russell on the offensive boards, though he has a knack for following his own missed shots, and quickly launching another one.

Transition

Russell loves to push the ball in transition, but he is much better when he gives up the ball and gets out on one of the wings. As the ballhandler, he moves the ball quickly up court, and while he shows good vision, his control and decision-making are suspect. His inability to finish consistently at the basket is also an issue in transition, as is his desire to pull-up for ill-advised jumpers. On the wing, Russell’s ability as a spot-up shooter can shine, and with defenders looking to stop the ballhandler, he has a better chance of getting to the basket and finishing.

Intangibles/Summary

It’s tough to characterize Russell’s game, as there is so much to like about what he does, especially on offense, but his decision-making is baffling at times. Russell is a threat to shoot every time he touches the ball, no matter where he is on the floor. With good size at 6’5, and a quick release, he often has no problem getting shots off; even if he is covered closely, he uses his dribble and screens very well to create space. His form is an issue at times, often not coming anywhere close to a full shooting motion or getting square to the basket. Still, if he has space and time, it’s tough to stop him from scoring. Russell shined as a pick-and-roll ballhandler at times this year, showing the ability to create shots for himself and teammates, and making some very clever passes. However, as I mentioned, his decision-making is questionable, and for every highlight reel-type pass he makes, he seems to make an extremely poor one. Russell relies heavily on shooting jumpers, mid- and long-range, and even when he attempts to get to the basket, he doesn’t have the speed to create separation from defenders, or the athleticism/strength to finish at the rim. Many of Russell’s strengths and issues in transition are the same. He can be a good scorer when he has time to shoot and doesn’t force things, but if he’s handling the ball, his decisions aren’t great and he has trouble finishing at the basket. Defensively, Russell has some of the physical tools to be a decent defender, especially his long arms, but his effort is inconsistent, and he doesn’t yet move his feet well enough to prevent players from getting by him. He shows some good instincts off the ball, but a lot of how he plays team defense will need big adjustments for the NBA level. If you watch the highlights on Russell, it’s easy to be impressed, and the hope is he will lose a lot of the negatives as he matures. If that happens, he has the chance of being a very good player at the next level, but I’m not sure how he’ll adjust to not being the main option and having the ball in his hands as much as possible. Still, at worst, he’ll fill the stat sheet; I’m just not sure teams will improve much with him running the offense. This is where his versatility helps him, and his scoring ability may shine off the ball.

Draft Value: Early – Mid Lottery – #3-9

I understand Russell will almost certainly be gone in the first four picks, but I think there is a big risk in taking him that high. His value is probably more in line with the lower end of his projection. The hope is that a lot of his negative traits, such as shot selection and decision-making, will improve in time, but even a small improvement won’t help him, or his team, all that much. The spacing at the NBA level should make things easier for him, but his inability to get to and/or finish at the rim, and his defense, are also problems for him. As I mentioned above, he may end up being better playing off the ball, and limiting the amount of time he spends looking to create shots. At 19 years old, there is plenty of time for improvement, and if he hits that next level with his abilities, he could become a fun player to watch.

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Scouting Report – D’Angelo Russell

By Ed Isaacson | Jun 23, 2015

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