D'Angelo Russell is going to be an All Star and perhaps a superstar

[Evantime34]

Pfft. Smart is better than Westbrook for 3/4 quarters of any game, anytime! We are gooood.

It wouldn't hurt to add a potential superstar player in Russell, won't it? Heck, he's actually a perfect fit for Smart. Russell plays the SG spot but facilitates the offense.

Forget it, no one is going to trade us Russell for the No 10 pick and the role players on our team. Get real. Only way we get him is if we get a top 3 pick and we might not even be in the lottery. Remember that when we're getting cratered in the first round..

I think if we offered our pick this year plus the Brooklyn next year and another future first I think it would at least be considered.

[GetLucky]

I just came in to say this. I watched the whole game and he basically carried the team against VCU (my team ). My friend texted me and said he's the "college James Harden," and it seems to me like he's right.

EDIT: James Harden was already referenced. I guess I can say i wholeheartedly agree!

[Celtics4ever]

OSU players do not always track well  in the pros recently and I am from Ohio.   Of course, Hondo was from there but so is ET and Sully and gulp Oden and Conley.

[RAAAAAAAANDY]

OSU players do not always track well  in the pros recently and I am from Ohio.   Of course, Hondo was from there but so is ET and Sully and gulp Oden and Conley.

I mean Greg Oden would have been a star barring injuries and Conely is a good player. Not a ding on OSU for either.

ET was meh until his Jr. year, and you have to watch for those guys because I don't trust them at all. Call it Adam Morrison syndrome. Sully I guess, completely different games and positions though.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

OSU players do not always track well  in the pros recently and I am from Ohio.   Of course, Hondo was from there but so is ET and Sully and gulp Oden and Conley.

You don't think Conley is good? How about Michael Redd before injuries killed his career? Koufos is from OSU, and he's s decent player. Turner and Sully are decent players on their own as well.

And who knows, if Oden stayed healthy, what he could have become...

[Eddie20]

My concern for me on Russell is his lack of explosiveness and quickness. He just doesn't create that separation with his first step. He'll obviously need to get stronger too, but at this age most players do.

[GetLucky]

And who knows, if Oden stayed healthy, what he could have become...

The oldest-looking young man to ever play in a professional basketball game.

[chambers]

My concern for me on Russell is his lack of explosiveness and quickness. He just doesn't create that separation with his first step. He'll obviously need to get stronger too, but at this age most players do.

I think he's still quick enough to do damage off the dribble.
What he lacks for in 'get set, go' quickness (the Westbrook type of speed) is incredible balance and craftiness with angles and hesitation dribbles- more like Pierce or Evan Turner. He reminds me a lot of Paul Pierce but with an even better shot. The left hand is a huge advantage too.
Put it this way, Evan Turner has always been a disappointment because he could get to the rim quite easily- he could just never develop the finishing ability or quality jumpshot that someone like Paul Pierce or Harden developed.

[chambers]

Kevin Oconnor posted this on the front page in case yall' missed it.
Russell goin HAM last night....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ijzwPdsowI

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I don't know. Maybe. He's certainly a good player, but I was watching the end of regulation of the VCU game, and there were at least two crucial possessions in which Russell couldn't even get past his defender one-on-one.

[chambers]

I don't know. Maybe. He's certainly a good player, but I was watching the end of regulation of the VCU game, and there were at least two crucial possessions in which Russell couldn't even get past his defender one-on-one.

His dribble penetration was the whole reason they won though. He just drives and dishes like a polished version of Carter Williams.
Also, his game translates even better to the NBA because of spacing and the lack of zone defenses like in the NCAA.
Considering how good his outside shot is,  just imagine him in a system like ours with three point shooters everywhere. With another player who can penetrate and dish like Isaiah Thomas he'd benefit hugely too because of the spacing from dribble drives+ball movement.

I'd say about the only weakness he has is his right hand- but he can develop that with time.
He's already better than Michael Carter Williams  (in my opinion) and MCW was rookie of the year....just a better version of MCW with a jumpshot.