Should Philadelphia 76ers Take Mudiay or Russell?

The Philadelphia 76ers were awarded the third pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, which should still put them in position to choose from the top two guards, assuming the Timberwolves and Lakers take the two prized big men, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor. Even if the 76ers did get the first or second overall pick, they would most likely still choose a guard because of their promising big men, Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, who they drafted in 2013 and 2014.

Since trading Michael Carter-Williams to the Bucks, it leaves the 76ers with a hole at point guard, and more specifically, a “do it all” type of point guard. Luckily for them, D’Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay are just that. Now the question the 76ers have to answer deals with which player is a better fit and would help them become relevant in the Eastern Conference.

Here is a breakdown between the two guards including strengths and weaknesses:

D’Angelo Russell

At the NBA Combine, Russell measured in at 6’5, 193 lbs to go along with a 6’9 wingspan. He has tremendous size to play point guard in the NBA. In his freshman year at Ohio State, the 19-year old averaged 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. He piled on with awards for his fabulous season including First-Team All American, Jerry West Award, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and First-Team All-Big Ten.

Strengths:

The lefty has proved that he can score at all three level efficiently. Last season, he shot 44 percent from the field while shooting 41 percent from the three-point arc. Russell is also a solid free-throw shooter, finishing at 75.6 percent. He had 15 games where he scored 20+ points including a 28-point performance against VCU in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Whenever the Buckeyes needed a big shot, Russell was they guy with the ball, however he isn’t a selfish player. There were plenty of time that he would throw the ball ahead in transition or make a pass that led to an assists. His instincts are what set him apart from other guards in this draft and at just 19-years old, that will only improve as he continues at the next level.

Russell’s size also translate well on the defensive side of the ball. At 6’5 it allows him to be able to be an elite rebounder at the point guard position, while also being able to disrupt smaller point guard’s shots. At the beginning of last season, Russell struggled to keep guys in front of him, but improved a lot as the season went on. It is expected to see him struggle the same way when he suits up in the NBA, but like in college he will improve quickly.

One part of Russell’s game that translates the best into the league is his pick-and-roll abilities. He’s very smooth handling the ball coming off the pick-and-roll and made all the correct leads when he was in the situations last season. He has the ability to split the defenders, or get the switch onto the big man and attack off the dribble. Passing to the weak side corner is also a skill that Russell has, which is valuable when he will have shooters around him.

Weaknesses:

Since he is entering the NBA, which has arguably the most athletic professionals in the world, it is going to be tough for Russell at first because he lacks in explosiveness. Against guys like Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose, and Kyrie Irving, he will have to learn to use his size as an advantage rather than trying to keep up with them athletically.

Every rookie seems to struggle immediately when they come into the league due to the physicality and pace that they aren’t used to playing, but Russell has the potential to adjust quickly and be an impressive point guard in the NBA.

Emmanuel Mudiay

Coming out of high school in 2014, Mudiay was ranked the 2nd best player in the country. He had committed to play for head coach Larry Brown and SMU in August of 2013, but after graduation, he decided to decommit and play professionally overseas for one year.

After announcing he would go pro, Mudiay signed a 1-year deal with Guangdong of the China Basketball Association. In 12 games, the 19-year old averaged 18 points, 5.9 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game. Similar to Russell, Mudiay has great size for the point guard position. At the NBA Combine, he measured in at 6’5 200lbs with a 6’8 wingspan.

Strengths:

Mudiay possesses great athletic ability to go along with a quick first step. He is strongest when he has the ball in the open court whether it be during a fast break, or a one-on-one opportunity against the opposing defender. When he is pushing in transition, Mudiay is good at creating contact and drawing fouls.

As a point guard, you need to be able to see the floor and feed off of what the opposing team is doing defensively, Mudiay does that well. Like Russell, he is a hard guard when in the pick-and-roll set. On the other hand, Mudiay has the quickness and athleticism to split two defenders while coming off of the screen.

Defensively his size makes him very versatile. While playing in the CBA, he guarded from the point guard position to the stretch four where there are players who are 6’9 and taller. If he gets beat by a quicker guard, he has the ability to recover and block or poke the ball out of the player’s hands. Also for a point guard, his rebounding ability is outstanding, which will add to his draft stock remarkably.

Weaknesses:

Mudiay’s biggest weakness is his shooting, especially from the three-point line. During his 12-game stretch in the CBA, he shot just 34 percent from deep, which can be a huge liability. If he doesn’t improve his shot going into his rookie season, teams could play loose on him while he has the ball similar to Rajon Rondo. If Mudiay could make the defense respect his jumper, it would open up lanes that he could use his athleticism to exploit.

For a point guard, he turns the ball over way too much. He averaged 3.2 turnovers per game while playing for Guangdong. There were times that he would over dribble or try to force a pass into a crowded area. As he grows as a player in the NBA, he will learn how to play at the pace of the game and facilitate while cutting down on his turnovers.

If the Sixers are looking for a safe bet, Russell is the answer, but if they are going off potential and growth, Mudiay could be the guy. Russell spent all season playing against tope teams in college basketball that included other players who are headed to the NBA. Mudiay only has 12 games to go off of since he suffered an ankle injury during the season that kept him out for some time.

The Sixers need a player who can come in immediately and have an impact to put them back in the playoff hunt in the East. D’Angelo Russell is the man for the job.

Next: Our Latest NBA Mock Draft

D’Angelo Russell

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Emmanuel Mudiay

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Weaknesses:

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