2015 NBA Draft picks: Los Angeles Lakers select D’Angelo Russell
The former Buckeye is the No. 2 overall pick.
After an impressive freshman year at Ohio State, guard D'Angelo Russell is headed to Los Angeles. The top point guard in the class was selected by the Lakers with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
Russell, 19, arrived in Columbus last year as a five-star recruit and one of the top prospects in the country. He ended up boosting his stock even further with a stellar debut season, leading the Buckeyes to a 24-11 record and an upset of No. 7 seed VCU in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Ohio State eventually fell to Arizona in the Round of 32, but Russell’s performance throughout the year established him as one of the best perimeter players in the country. The 6’5 guard averaged roughly 19 points, six rebounds and five assists per game, and displayed that coveted shooting ability by hitting 41 percent of his three-point attempts, drawing comparisons to league MVP Stephen Curry. His stellar performance on workouts only confirmed his status as a potential franchise player.
2015 NBA Draft
The Lakers fell in love with that star potential and passed on selecting Jahlil Okafor in favor of Russell. He will likely have a significant role in his rookie season while receiving tutelage from Kobe Bryant. The Lakers started Jordan Clarkson at point guard last season, but while the rookie impressed, Russell projects to be a huge upgrade over him. Playing next to Bryant will allow Russell to ease his way into the league without having to become a first option right away, while his shooting should be able to provide the team with a weapon they were sorely lacking last year.
Drew Garrison of Silver Screen and Roll, SB Nation’s Lakers blog, says the choice of Russell over Okafor may signal that L.A. has a plan to add more talent in free agency.
Los Angeles was long rumored to prefer Okafor, but D'Angelo could shape the Lakers' offense with his incredible talents in an NBA that's relying on perimeter play now more than ever. Russell should be a great partner in the open court and pick-and-roll with Julius Randle, and the Lakers now have a duo of young guards to build forward with. This also could mean the Lakers' front office is confident in landing one of the top-tier free agent big men in free agency.
The Lakers didn’t go the safe route with their pick, but Russell truly has a chance to be special. If he lives up to the lofty expectations that will be placed on him by the franchise and Mitch Kupchak manages to sign a quality big man in free agency, the Lakers could return to relevance sooner than expected and will have a bright post-Bryant future.
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