After staying put at the #3 spot following the NBA draft lottery, the Sixers will have a chance to get a much needed boost at their guard position. Yes, for a team as bad as the Sixers, common wisdom would suggest taking the best available player over need. In this situation the Sixers will most likely have a chance to do both. Despite rumblings of the Lakers having interest in D’Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay, chances are they will select Jahlil Okafor with the 2nd pick in the 2015 NBA draft on June 25th. Him going to the Lakers and Karl-Anthony Towns presumably headed to Minnesota 1st overall will leave the Sixers with their choice of either Mudiay or Russell, who at that point in the draft will be considered the two best players available.
Each player has their pros and cons, their strengths and weaknesses. I’ll be breaking those down and how their styles of play would fit on this Sixers team.
First, let’s break down how Russell’s game. The Sixers traded reigning ROY winner Michael Carter-Williams to the Bucks just before the trade deadline expired. While he’s shown potential, Carter-Williams’ shooting struggled for the lion share of his time in Philly. Brett Brown’s offense calls for solid 3-point shooters. Last year, Carter-Williams shot a
n abysmal 23.5% from distance last year, and is only a tad better at 25.2% for his 2-year career. I bring this up because D’Angelo Russell is the complete opposite. In his only year at Ohio State, he shot a very good 41% from beyond the arc. He thrives with shooting off the dribble and set shots whilst his quick release and size for his position makes him very hard to defend. He would immediately bring a shooting threat to a Sixers team that was ranked dead last in the NBA in 3-point shooting last year.
Despite all the talk of Russell’s shooting ability, he certainly is not a one trick pony. He is one of the best passing prospects I’ve seen in over a decade. He has remarkable court vision and has a knack for creative passes that result in easy buckets. He averaged a solid 5.0 assists per game last year and has proven that he is a very unselfish player that puts team success first. This bodes very well for Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid who both will benefit greatly from having a guy who can put them in great positions to score. Pick and roll play will be very lethal for the Sixers as Russell is extremely hard to defend in that situation.
Despite having loads of offensive potential, Russell also rebounds his position very well. He stands 6’5 with a wingspan of 6’9.7 which is terrific length for his position. He averaged 5.7 per game which is extremely good for a guard. He and Carter-Williams both flourished in that aspect of their game.
Russell has a lot of talent which is undeniable. If there’s something he definitely needs to improve it’s his defense. Sometimes he had a bit of a disinterested demeanor on that end of the floor. He lacks the explosiveness
we see from guys like John Wall and Russell Westbrook, though he does have the physical tools of length and good lateral movement to become a viable defender at the next level.
Overall I love him as a fit for the Sixers. Their offensive will immensely improve the second he steps on the floor while being unselfish enough to allow Joel Embiid to grow as the franchise’s cornerstone. Brett Brown loves floor spacing and the 3-point shot which his shooting touch will definitely promote.
Now we’ll take a look at the mystery man Emmanuel Mudiay. Mudiay who was supposed to play college ball at SMU but due to academic problems he decided to play overseas in China. Mudiay is a very different player than his counterpart Russell. Unlike Russell, Mudiay is an explosive athlete who draws many comparisons to John Wall. He’s best at using his speed and quick first step to get to the basket.
He, like Russell, has terrific size for his position and also like Russell is a great rebounder. He averaged 6.25 in his 12 games with the Guangdong Tigers. He uses his athleticism to excel in that area.
Mudiay is based mostly off potential. Considering he’s only played in 12 games last season there’s not as much film on him as there is on guys coming out of college. He’s shown tremendous flashes of court vision and being able to get easy baskets for his teammates. His assist average is very comparable to Russell, with 5.92 per game.
Speaking of potential, Mudiay has loads of it when it comes to the defensive end of the floor..He has the athleticism and size to become an elite defender in the NBA. His quick hands and ability to play the passing lanes adds intrigue to an already exciting prospect.
Like every guy entering the NBA, they have their share of things to work on to improve. Mudiay is no different. Referring back to my John Wall comparison, Mudiay is coming into the league with a very inconsistent jump shot. His form is decent but he seems to release the ball too late. He shot a mediocre 34% on 3-pointers and also only 57% from the charity stripe. This is definitely one area D’Angelo Russell is clearly better and advanced in than Mudiay. His offensive game is very raw doesn’t seem as polished as Russell’s. Mudiay also plays a little out of control at times which results in a high volume of turnovers.
Would I be disappointed if Mudiay was a Sixer comeJune 25th? No, but it would be a curious decision on their part to take him if Russell is available. The Sixers are a young team and do like to run which would make taking Mudiay a little more sense. The fact, however that the Sixers just traded Michael Carter-Williams because of his inability to shoot consistently, makes taking an exact replica abit odd. Don’t get me wrong, Mudiay has a much better form than Carter-Williams and seems to have a better chance of becoming a solid shooter, but with Russell sitting there, I can’t see how he’d be the pick.
Russell definitely has the higher floor in my opinion and is also more NBA ready. Mudiay is more of a question mark, though many would argue has the higher ceiling because of his athleticism. Either player will help and will be a great building block alongside Noel, Embiid and Saric. I personally just think Russell would bring a lot more offensive efficiency to the worst offense in the NBA. He can also play both guard positions which adds flexibility to the team when deciding on who will play next to him. With Embiid being a question mark due to injury concerns the Sixers can’t afford to miss on this pick. I truly believe that Russell will be a star and think he fits the Sixers and what they want to do better than Mudiay.
Article by Adam Ryan- https://twitter.com/Euph0ricRush
