Big Ten: Russell, Kaminsky And Dekker Taken In First Round
Here’s a look at which notable Big Ten prospects went where in the 2015 NBA Draft.
ALSO ON HOOPSHABIT: NBA Draft: Best Player Ever Selected in all 60 Spots
Ohio State PG/SG D’Angelo Russell Selected with the No. 2 Pick, Headed to the Los Angeles Lakers
Russell lands in an interesting spot in Los Angeles, where he could be going into a “win-now” situation. If the Lakers land LaMarcus Aldridge or Kevin Love, and if Kobe Bryant stays healthy, Russell will have a much lighter load to carry offensively than he would have if he was picked by the Philadelphia 76ers.
If the Lakers can’t lure a big time free agent to Los Angeles, and if Kobe once again can’t stay on the court, Russell will be thrusted into being the focal point of the offense. Either way, the Lakers are a good organization to land with. Say what you will about Byron Scott as a coach, but he’s coached Jason Kidd, Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving. That’s as good of a track record as there is and now he’ll have D’Angelo Russell.
Wisconsin PF/C Frank Kaminsky Selected with the No. 9 Pick, Headed to the Charlotte Hornets
Kaminsky generated a ton of late buzz leading up to the draft, and was even being looked at by the New York Knicks at No. 4. Alas, he ends up in Charlotte, where owner Michael Jordan is apparently a big fan.
The Hornets were a terrible shooting team last season, and have already improved in that area by adding Nicolas Batum, Spencer Hawes and Jeremy Lamb. Add Frank Kaminsky into that group, as the big man from Wisconsin can flat out shoot the basketball. Whether he starts alongside Al Jefferson remains to be seen, but for a team that desperately wants to win now, Kaminsky will be heavily relied upon.
Wisconsin SF Sam Dekker Selected with the No. 18 Pick, Headed to the Houston Rockets
Not all that surprisingly, an analytics darling like Dekker gets picked up by one of the most analytical teams in the Houston Rockets. He’s pretty similar to former Rocket Chandler Parsons, and should be used in a relatively similar role.
This is a great spot for Dekker to land. The Houston Rockets are one of the best run organizations in the NBA, and Dekker should have every opportunity to succeed there. They may be losing Corey Brewer to free agency so Dekker should be seeing a decent amount of playing time backing up Trevor Ariza.
Next: NBA Finals History: Ranking The Last 50 Champions
More from Hoops Habit
- The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout