NBA: Ranking all 30 starting point guards for 2018-19

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17. D’Angelo Russell, Brooklyn Nets

This ranking may seem a bit modest for a player the Brooklyn Nets are hoping will establish himself as a franchise cornerstone, but even without the injuries that limited him to 48 games last season, D’Angelo Russell still has some serious flaws to address.

Aside from the missed time, Russell struggled with turnovers, creating separation off the dribble in the half-court and with his shot, posting pedestrian .414/.324/.740 shooting splits. Throw in lackluster defense and his general lack of athleticism and you’ve got a throughly underwhelming point guard.

However, D-Loading has only been in the league for three years, and his last two seasons’ progress was derailed by injury. If he can stay healthy in 2018-19, perhaps he’ll finally start to put it all together.