Russell athletic ability

[B-Scott]

If he makes his wide open three pointers and mid-range jumpers nobody would be complainig about athletic ability. He gets to his spots with ease. Right now he's just not making the shot. He easily could have had 40 vs Isiah Thomas, but he missed a ton of wide open shots. Jumping ability is overrated. Shannon Brown had a 40 inch vertical and career backup

Chauncey Billups was an All Star and Steve Nash was 2-time MVP

[BEazy]

See people don't understand that. They want him to be a Russell Westbrook when clearly that not his game. Russell has been hated on just because people can't clearly pin point whats wrong with this team. I've done it a few times, hell I even wanted him traded at one point, but I just keep telling myself some of the greatest PGs before and now didn't have freak athletic ability. Russell is learning slowly. Even when we drafted him, analyst were saying he's going to need time to adjust to the game speed and as well as the PG spot. He's progressing nicely in my opinion. I sure as hell don't want this guy traded, unless it's an offer we can't refuse.

You'll hear all these folks, usually the fair weather fans, say he's a bust and he doesn't have the "IT" factor. They clearly don't understand the game of basketball. They just want to spew crap like, "We are the Lakers, and we don't have to wait, we won 16 championships," and "We don't want snitches on our team," etc. Those fans are very annoying, and in my whole hearted opinion they are the reason why people think Laker fans are imbeciles.

So I agree, Russell doesn't have to be athletic to be a great player. He will craft his own game and be twice as effective than these freak athletic PGs. Just need time.

[danfantastk32]

You know...I'm kinda disappointed with Russell's fire. I don't think he's been quite what was sold to us as well. But I'm far from wanting to abandon Russell. The guy is just over a season and a half in. Whats more, these guys don't get the 3-4 years of development like they used to. College coaches used to work with guys....COACH them. Now they are 1-and-dones who are just squeezed to give as much juice as possible, before leaving.

But I really don't care for the argument your making. If XXX made his wide open 3-pointers and mid-range shots, nobody would be complaining...can pretty much cover anyone in the NBA. Your right....he doesn't have to be an athletic freak. But he does have to make great passes....not turn the ball over, control the tempo of the game that fits what we want to do.....and MAKE HIS SHOTS. If you can't make baskets in the NBA, your pretty useless. You can count on one hand the players who eek out a living in the NBA not-shooting, and none of them are considered close to crucial for their team.

It's really simple: The team is as good as it's record right? Well.......

We were supposed to have all this great talent right? Nance was the next high-flying act...Randle the double-double machine. Clarkson was tearing it up.....Russell was being compared to Magic....this that and the other. And here we are, a complete bottom-dweller. We're either gonna be last in the West.....or compete for it right down to the wire. So how can anyone possibly be HAPPY with how these guys are developing? Yes, it takes time. Nobody says it doesnt....but this team has REGRESSED. That's not good. I would certainly not pin all (or even most) of it on Russell....but if he's gonna be this great floor leader PG-guy, you'd expect he'd be the first to own up to some of it, right?

This team is not inconsistent. This team sucks. It totally sucks, and your seeing some these young guys half-arsing game to game, and that's not the hallmark of a great player. I don't care if Russell can do spinning dunks. I don't think anyone does.

I don't see ANYTHING from any of these players that tells me they are sick of losing, and are gonna commit to fierce defense, or really go after that ball...or ANYTHING to start getting wins. I don't see alot of "champions in the making" on this squad. Sorry.

[Kupchak9]

Chauncey Billups was an All Star and Steve Nash was 2-time MVP

These guys were still more athletic than Russell. Not to say that you need crazy athleticism to be a great player, but there's still an element of it that you need to be successful. Neither of the guys you mentioned were jaw-dropping athletes, but they were quick enough to beat guys off the dribble and attack the basket which opened things up for the rest of the team. Russell currently does not have that ability. It looks like he gets to his spots with ease because he gets and uses alot of screens effectively, but ultimately settles for a long jumper. He's not quick enough to get by his primary defender and is also not fast enough to beat help bigs that switch on him in the pick and roll. As an opposing defense, you can have confidence that he'll almost never get a shot on you in the paint.

He was pretty much knocked for the same weaknesses in college but now they're being blown up at the NBA level.

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He did not attack the rim well last year and is even worse this year. He takes 13.2 shots per game and only 12.8% of them are taken at the rim. So on a nightly basis you can only expect him to get to the basket about 1.5 times. That's pretty goddamn abysmal for any guard. I dont have the stat for average shots at the rim for guards averaging more than 20mpg, but I'm sure Russell is probably in the bottom of that category.

To reiterate, I think Russell can be a very good player, but he's never going to be able to carry our offense. He has a sweet jumper and can be a good passer when he wants to be, but all in all that's not enough to get us back on track. Just because alot of people knock him for his athleticism doesnt mean they expect him be like Westbrook, Lillard and etc. Really alot of people are just pulling for him to average NBA guard level athleticism.

[DNP-Old]

If he makes his wide open three pointers and mid-range jumpers nobody would be complainig about athletic ability. He gets to his spots with ease. Right now he's just not making the shot. He easily could have had 40 vs Isiah Thomas, but he missed a ton of wide open shots. Jumping ability is overrated. Shannon Brown had a 40 inch vertical and career backup

Chauncey Billups was an All Star and Steve Nash was 2-time MVP

For the record, Russell has a 39" vertical.

[lake_show]

Guys who site "athleticism" as an issue just don't understand basketball. You got a guy giving you 20, 6, and 6 on a poor night and we're talking about whether he'll ever be able to "make it" in this league. Or, whether he can ever be better than an "average player". That's just crazy.

Yeah, Russell's shooting has been pretty bad... But let's not pretend he's having trouble getting open shots. He's having trouble hitting open shots on a consistent basis. He's got an issue with his mechanics, not his "athleticism". If he was having trouble getting a shot up because the defenses were drapped all over him then we'd have an issue. But... HE'S GETTING A TON OF OPEN SHOTS. AGAINST GUYS WHO ARE WAAAAY MORE "ATHLETIC" THAN HIM. That's really the one most important thing. Can a guy get and hit open shots on a consistent basis? Russell has proven he can get them... He's gotta prove he can hit them on a consistent basis. His mechanics have been inconsistent... Which has led to his shooting being inconsistent.

In comparison, guys like Lou Will, and JC are both good, athletic, scorers... But, despite how "athletic" they are, they take a ton of contested shots. Don't get me wrong, they make a good amount of them. The problem with taking a ton of contested shots is, for the majority of players (outside of maybe the greatest player ever at making contested shots: Kobe Bryant), you can't bank on that as a consistent strategy for your team.

Russell is already a good player in this league. Will he ever be a star or superstar in this league? That depends on whether he can get his shooting percentages up and his turnovers down. That's pretty much it though. "He's not athletic" is just nit picking when a guy is giving you multiple points, rebounds, and assists every single night. Of all the guys on our team right now he's the closest at being anything significant in this league, and that's what people who spend their time complaining miss.

[tugs]

Nash was never an "athletic, leaper, highlight" type but he compensated with speed and ballhandling wizardry.

Billups was fundamentally sound with his dribble and does nothing fancy and is very good using his strength. Like Nash, he doesn't jump out the building but he had the tools to make up for that.

Russell is a good combination of the two. He can overpower most PGs and he has the handles to blow by his defenders. He's not fast but he puts opponents to sleep before he changes gears, even though his max is 3rd unlike the Walls and Westbrooks who just goes 5th gear plus.

What I want Russell to do is just tighten up his dribble and lessen the fancy dribbling. He has the tendency to cross behind his back despite having multiple defenders. Imagine Nash's handles with Billups' strength and simplicity but with both of their vision. Crazy potential.

[cashflo]

Nash was never an "athletic, leaper, highlight" type but he compensated with speed and ballhandling wizardry.

Billups was fundamentally sound with his dribble and does nothing fancy and is very good using his strength. Like Nash, he doesn't jump out the building but he had the tools to make up for that.

Russell is a good combination of the two. He can overpower most PGs and he has the handles to blow by his defenders. He's not fast but he puts opponents to sleep before he changes gears, even though his max is 3rd unlike the Walls and Westbrooks who just goes 5th gear plus.

What I want Russell to do is just tighten up his dribble and lessen the fancy dribbling. He has the tendency to cross behind his back despite having multiple defenders. Imagine Nash's handles with Billups' strength and simplicity but with both of their vision. Crazy potential.

Agree.. the guy is what 20?.. come on let him mature..
He does need an explosive guy who can defend at SG ..imo but I love DLO's potential.
As I do Ingram and Zubac

I'm not too thrilled with Randle.. he needs to tone down his game. I would not mind looking to see what we can get for him and give Black/Nance/Deng the minutes at PF.

[iamworthy]

Guys who site "athleticism" as an issue just don't understand basketball. You got a guy giving you 20, 6, and 6 on a poor night and we're talking about whether he'll ever be able to "make it" in this league. Or, whether he can ever be better than an "average player". That's just crazy.

Yeah, Russell's shooting has been pretty bad... But let's not pretend he's having trouble getting open shots. He's having trouble hitting open shots on a consistent basis. He's got an issue with his mechanics, not his "athleticism". If he was having trouble getting a shot up because the defenses were drapped all over him then we'd have an issue. But... HE'S GETTING A TON OF OPEN SHOTS. AGAINST GUYS WHO ARE WAAAAY MORE "ATHLETIC" THAN HIM. That's really the one most important thing. Can a guy get and hit open shots on a consistent basis? Russell has proven he can get them... He's gotta prove he can hit them on a consistent basis. His mechanics have been inconsistent... Which has led to his shooting being inconsistent.

In comparison, guys like Lou Will, and JC are both good, athletic, scorers... But, despite how "athletic" they are, they take a ton of contested shots. Don't get me wrong, they make a good amount of them. The problem with taking a ton of contested shots is, for the majority of players (outside of maybe the greatest player ever at making contested shots: Kobe Bryant), you can't bank on that as a consistent strategy for your team.

Russell is already a good player in this league. Will he ever be a star or superstar in this league? That depends on whether he can get his shooting percentages up and his turnovers down. That's pretty much it though. "He's not athletic" is just nit picking when a guy is giving you multiple points, rebounds, and assists every single night. Of all the guys on our team right now he's the closest at being anything significant in this league, and that's what people who spend their time complaining miss.

I agree with what you're saying. Im surprised lakers havent worked on his off the dribble jump shot mechanics. I believe his catch and shoot shot percentage is higher than his off the dribble. He needs to do a better job of squaring up. In regards to his athletic ability I always thought that narrative was over sold. At the time of the draft the consensus was KAT and Oak was going 1 and 2, and the lakers was going to pick whoever was left over. Amazingly enough the DAR must have come in and put on a show because he snatched the number 2 slot. To add, If the lakers didnt pick him at two Philly wanted him at 3 and the Knicks probably at 4. So the nonathletic dude was wanted by a few teams even though you cant slide a penny under his feet when he shoots a jumpshot

[ALL HAIL]

Athleticism makes things look so much prettier, ballerina-esque even, but it's much like crossover dribbling ... often it can prove quite helpful, but it's far from necessary.

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were beasts, but they were never "run and jump" athletes.

With guys like Bird and Russell and Mark Jackson and McDermott, all good players, I just need to know who they defend. Slow guys can always find a way to score, they have a much harder time, however, on the defensive end of the floor. Russell is no different.

[ALL HAIL]

Guys who site "athleticism" as an issue just don't understand basketball. You got a guy giving you 20, 6, and 6 on a poor night and we're talking about whether he'll ever be able to "make it" in this league. Or, whether he can ever be better than an "average player". That's just crazy.

Yeah, Russell's shooting has been pretty bad... But let's not pretend he's having trouble getting open shots. He's having trouble hitting open shots on a consistent basis. He's got an issue with his mechanics, not his "athleticism". If he was having trouble getting a shot up because the defenses were drapped all over him then we'd have an issue. But... HE'S GETTING A TON OF OPEN SHOTS. AGAINST GUYS WHO ARE WAAAAY MORE "ATHLETIC" THAN HIM. That's really the one most important thing. Can a guy get and hit open shots on a consistent basis? Russell has proven he can get them... He's gotta prove he can hit them on a consistent basis. His mechanics have been inconsistent... Which has led to his shooting being inconsistent.

In comparison, guys like Lou Will, and JC are both good, athletic, scorers... But, despite how "athletic" they are, they take a ton of contested shots. Don't get me wrong, they make a good amount of them. The problem with taking a ton of contested shots is, for the majority of players (outside of maybe the greatest player ever at making contested shots: Kobe Bryant), you can't bank on that as a consistent strategy for your team.

Russell is already a good player in this league. Will he ever be a star or superstar in this league? That depends on whether he can get his shooting percentages up and his turnovers down. That's pretty much it though. "He's not athletic" is just nit picking when a guy is giving you multiple points, rebounds, and assists every single night. Of all the guys on our team right now he's the closest at being anything significant in this league, and that's what people who spend their time complaining miss.

After Jordan and Carter and Bryant and McGrady, most fans and GMs want to see gazelles on the court. It's the primary reason Myles Turner was overlooked in the draft last year -- he ran funny.

[Landsberger]

I am in no way a fan of the "combine" type of athleticism. How fast you run around little orange cones has little to do with how it is applied to the game. With that said, Russell has issues at this level creating open shots for himself where he has a chance of making them. He has some ways of jumping back or sideways to get some space but balance etc. is off and so are the shots. He's going backwards in shooting accuracy this year and seems to be settling for a very high % of his shots from longer range. I'm not in the camp that thinks this will get markedly better as time goes by.

He seems to be an adequate shooter when he's off the ball however. This is because he's not in a position where he has to create space and shoot. He can get his feet under his shoulders and shoot. Getting a shot off and getting a good shot off are different. You can see the games where he struggles coming depending on the team/guards he going up against. My thoughts are that he will be a better scorer off the ball in the NBA.

[Michael Lucky]

Russell is actually one of the better leapers on the team with his 39 inch vertical. He is simply not the type of player that is going to bully his way to the rim and blow by defenders. Having said that he does not seem to have much trouble getting into the paint, he just often settles too much for the off drible 3 point shot. The only real criticism i have of him when he does chose to attack the rim is that he exposes the ball too early.

With that said, Russell has issues at this level creating open shots for himself where he has a chance of making them.

You have got to be running out of energy at some point.

[Vesper]

It would be a problem, if Russ had avg height, avg wingspan and avg handsize. However, his length compensates a lot...

Problem is that his conditioning and strength are subpar now. Moreso, than being Russell Westbrook or DROSE.

[Landsberger]

With that said, Russell has issues at this level creating open shots for himself where he has a chance of making them.

You have got to be running out of energy at some point.

So, in your mind he can get makable open shots when ever he wants to? If that is true why does he shoot primarily from the perimeter and shoot a low % (relatively for a guard) the closer he gets to the hoop. He doesn't seem to be a good finisher at the rim for a guy with a 39" vertical.

Is the 39" verified verified? In a quick google I can't seem to find anywhere where his vertical was measured. If it's really a standing 39" that would have put him second in the draft of the ones I could find that allowed that to be measured. A 6'5" guy with a standing 39" vertical should be pounding it over centers when coming down the lane. That's more than Kobe I believe. Shannon Brown was verified at 40". That seems off when comparing it to what we are seeing on the floor.

Interesting when I googled the vertical was reading all of the pre-draft analysis of his game. It reads like the back and forth on this forum with him. One common thread in all 5 I just read was the concern over his ability to adjust to the leagues speed at his position. Almost all of them also mention concerns on finishing at the hoop and shot selection/mechanics as well. Finally, in his own words, he sees himself most like Steph Curry in one pre-draft interview. That may explain some of the shot selection issues. Steph is a once in a generation player and the only one I've ever seen who can make shots like he does. World Free could make crazy covered jump shots but still no where near what Curry can do on a consistent basis.

[Princeinrevolt]

Russell is actually one of the better leapers on the team with his 39 inch vertical. He is simply not the type of player that is going to bully his way to the rim and blow by defenders. Having said that he does not seem to have much trouble getting into the paint, he just often settles too much for the off drible 3 point shot. The only real criticism i have of him when he does chose to attack the rim is that he exposes the ball too early.

With that said, Russell has issues at this level creating open shots for himself where he has a chance of making them.

You have got to be running out of energy at some point.

he will never run out of energy... just don't bother reading what he posts... It's basically him talking smack about Russell... It could be a forum on soccer, and he would start talking smack about Russell/Lakers...


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[Vesper]

Kyrie had problems too when he was young and he said he didn't change until Lebron came..

When it came to daily activities and dieting/eating properly. I dont think DLO can play +34mins like some people want right now in his current condition, unlesss you want him to half ass it half the gamee. Similar to zubac, noway in hell can zubac start and play so many minutes.

[BEazy]

Is the 39" verified verified? In a quick google I can't seem to find anywhere where his vertical was measured. If it's really a standing 39" that would have put him second in the draft of the ones I could find that allowed that to be measured. A 6'5" guy with a standing 39" vertical should be pounding it over centers when coming down the lane. That's more than Kobe I believe. Shannon Brown was verified at 40".

[Princeinrevolt]

Is the 39" verified verified? In a quick google I can't seem to find anywhere where his vertical was measured. If it's really a standing 39" that would have put him second in the draft of the ones I could find that allowed that to be measured. A 6'5" guy with a standing 39" vertical should be pounding it over centers when coming down the lane. That's more than Kobe I believe. Shannon Brown was verified at 40".

and he did dunk on Nerlens Noel last season!!!


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[Crooked-I]

With that said, Russell has issues at this level creating open shots for himself where he has a chance of making them.

You have got to be running out of energy at some point.

So, in your mind he can get makable open shots when ever he wants to? If that is true why does he shoot primarily from the perimeter and shoot a low % (relatively for a guard) the closer he gets to the hoop. He doesn't seem to be a good finisher at the rim for a guy with a 39" vertical.

Is the 39" verified verified? In a quick google I can't seem to find anywhere where his vertical was measured. If it's really a standing 39" that would have put him second in the draft of the ones I could find that allowed that to be measured. A 6'5" guy with a standing 39" vertical should be pounding it over centers when coming down the lane. That's more than Kobe I believe. Shannon Brown was verified at 40". That seems off when comparing it to what we are seeing on the floor.

Interesting when I googled the vertical was reading all of the pre-draft analysis of his game. It reads like the back and forth on this forum with him. One common thread in all 5 I just read was the concern over his ability to adjust to the leagues speed at his position. Almost all of them also mention concerns on finishing at the hoop and shot selection/mechanics as well. Finally, in his own words, he sees himself most like Steph Curry in one pre-draft interview. That may explain some of the shot selection issues. Steph is a once in a generation player and the only one I've ever seen who can make shots like he does. World Free could make crazy covered jump shots but still no where near what Curry can do on a consistent basis.

You must be the worst googler of all time. A quick "D'Angelo Russell vertical" google shows you a bunch of threads saying what his measured vertical was. And also it's hilarious that you're mentioning all those players standing vert when literally no one said it was 39" standing vert. Just stop you're embarrassing yourself.

Oh and...

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