Ohio State Guard D’Angelo Russell is one of the top prospects in this year’s NBA Draft, and his stock just keeps rising. Louisville head coach Rick Pitino, who recruited Russell out of high school, has some exorbitantly high praise for the 6’5″ guard.
On SportsCenter, Rick Pitino said:
“In 30 some odd years, outside of Magic Johnson, he’s the best passer I’ve seen come along.”
Wow, Pitino. That’s one bold statement. At OSU, Russell averaged 5 assists per game and had a 30.1 assist rate, the 84th best in the nation. Those aren’t bad numbers, but I don’t know about numbers for the supposed best passer of this generation. Obviously, Russell is young, and you can’t let his college numbers speak for themselves. However, it is far too early for Pitino to make a statement of this magnitude. Sure, he’s entitled to his own opinion. That’s just such an outlandish opinion. Off the top of my head, I’d take Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Rajon Rondo, and Chris Paul over him, along with plenty of others. Perhaps Russell will prove me wrong, but the point is: he hasn’t yet(Although Russell definitely throws some sweet dimes).
With the draft tomorrow, everyone is holding their breath to see where the top prospects, including Russell, end up. The 76ers are looking like a definite possibility for Russell. He “killed” his workout there, and despite rumors that he doesn’t want to play in Philly, According to Yahoo’s Marc J. Spears:
“It’s a great place. Why wouldn’t I want to be there?,” said ex-Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell,about possibly being drafted by Sixers 3rd.
Other possibilities for Russell include the Lakers, Knicks, and any team further down should he inexplicably fall to them.
