

Final Thoughts

Even on an off night, Russell’s talent still shone through. Although he rushed into contested shots early in the shot clock, turned the ball over five times, and was not aggressive enough in going to the paint until the Buckeyes were desperate, he still made a handful of ‘whoa’ plays. He spearheaded a 14-0 run to bring his team back into the game.

He only racked up two assists in this contest, but we saw glimpses of his rare court vision and his feel for the game was apparent. Though he starts at the two, he looks comfortable running the offense and was the primary ball-handler during the Buckeyes’ second half comeback. He was sloppy and needs to tighten his handle, but I think he could make the transition to point guard in the NBA. His size would be an asset at that spot and he certainly has the passing skills required.





His ability to shoot and create for himself with his handle off the dribble reminds me of a young Steph Curry. I’m not saying he is as good a shooter as Curry because nobody is. But they are both smooth, skillful athletes. Russell has made numerous defenders look silly this season, including this clutch crossover into a pull-up three against Northwestern. And how about this crossover combination before stopping on a dime to wet a J over Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine. That is an advanced move at any stage of the sport and especially impressive for a freshman who just turned 19 on Monday.

He also resembles James Harden as a long, smooth, sweet-stroking southpaw. Yet Harden weighed 220 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine and was much more of an attacking guard (he averaged 8.5 FTA per 40 MIN pace adjusted as a frosh at Arizona State). As a freshman, Russell is a better passer than Curry and Harden were at this age, though both have developed into excellent playmakers in the NBA. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton also mentioned that he’s heard Manu Ginobili as a comparable player. All three comparisons succeed on the ball and off the ball, similar to Russell.

It’s easy to see why this diaper dandy is nearly a lock at this point to be a top-five pick, assuming he declares for the draft. He is far from a finished product, but oozes talent and seemingly can do it all offensively. His defensive effort leaves something to be desired, but when he exudes consistent energy he can lock all windows and doors. He may never make a NBA All-Defense team and he will be challenged early in his career by the dynamic athletes at guard. Yet I don’t think he will be a sieve on that end.

Russell would fit extremely well with any team because he can play both guard spots, but would ostensibly be a perfect fit with the 76ers pace and space system. His size, playmaking in transition and in the pick-and-roll, and deadly stroke from long range would be a tremendous fit around a healthy and potentially dominate Joel Embiid.

You can follow Marlowe on Twitter, check out his football film review articles for the Detroit Free Press and his Sports Blog.