D’Angelo Russell is one of my favourite prospects in this year’s NBA Draft. I can see him as a future franchise player. He’s definitely a top 5 player in my mind and weirdly enough most teams that are in the top 5 need a point guard so wherever he goes, D’Angelo knows that he’ll be needed from the get go.
A few team executives have talked to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com, saying that the Lakers should take a punt on D’Angelo instead of Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns.
Away from the consensus, distanced from the assumptions, there is a logical case to be made for the Lakers to take Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell with the second pick in the June 25 Draft and not simply inherit the big man the Timberwolves do not take at No. 1.
There is such a logical case, in fact, that front offices outside Los Angeles buy the premise without hesitation. Russell is considered that good — “I would take him No. 1,” said an executive with a team that isn’t picking high enough to be impacted by the top five being shuffled — and the Lakers have that unique of circumstances.
Now I think Okafor is overrated, so I would put D’Angelo third on my list with Towns and Mudiay above him. Personally I think the Lakers should take Emmanuel Mudiay but if they take Russell I wouldn’t be mad at it.
