After losing Kevin Durant, the Golden State Warriors swung a surprising deal for D'Angelo Russell to somewhat soften the blow of losing such an outstanding player.
With Durant gone and Klay Thompson being out for much of next season with a torn ACL, Russell will have to play a pivotal role in helping the Warriors get back to the playoffs (it's hard to believe we are even saying this).
While Russell had a breakout year with the Brooklyn Nets this past season, there is no question that there are a lot of concerns about his game and holes that need some patching.
Also, so long as Golden State doesn't move Russell (which it probably won't), he will serve as a long-term fit alongside of Stephen Curry and Thompson, and in order to do that effectively, he needs to make these changes.
3. Use His Length Defensively
Because Russell is a point guard, we tend to forget that he is 6-foot-5 with solid length, but he doesn't seem to be taking full advantage of it.
We know that Russell is not a good defensive player and will likely never be anything more than average on that end of the floor, as he simply does not have the foot speed nor the athleticism to keep up with quicker guards.
What he can do, however, is use his length to affect passing lanes and passing angles, as there really aren't all that many 6-foot-5 floor generals in basketball.
That means getting his arms out early when opposing guards set up the offense, and that means doing everything he can to use his length to disrupt passes and slow down the opponent.
Russell will never be Marcus Smart, but he can at least become a smart defender who uses his physical gifts to the best of his abilities.
2. Learn to Play Off the Ball
One thing Russell hasn't really done much thus far in his career is play off the ball, as he was the primary ball-handler during his two-year stint with the Los Angeles Lakers and was also the main ball-handler in Brooklyn.
With the Warriors, that will not be the case, as Curry is obviously the point guard and always will be.
As a result, Russell is going to learn how to play off the ball, and a good place to start would be watching Thompson. Thompson is Ray Allen-like with his ability to get open for good looks, both on the perimeter and around the basket.
While Russell is not the type of guy to come around screens and catch passes for jumpers, he is going to have to learn how to start doing that, and even if he can't master that, he will have to constantly move to try and free himself up for open layups.
1. Get to the Free-Throw Line
Perhaps the biggest hole in Russell's game offensively is his inability to get to the free-throw line.
The 23-year-old took just 2.5 free throws per game this season, which is actually below his career average of 2.6. Obviously, he isn't getting to the stripe, and he isn't improving in that area, either.
For a guy who has such great handles and can use his craftiness to get by defenders with relative ease at times, he needs to be more aggressive in trying to get to the rim and absorb contact.
If Russell begins to do that, his efficiency will increase, and he will become much more difficult to guard.
Follow Us
Subscribe