In the lead up to the draft, when I wrote about whether D’Angelo Russell was worth the #2 pick, I ultimately concluded that I thought he was. Nothing through the Lakers first 11 games has changed my mind or made me second guess that. Not Russell’s sub 40% shooting from the field, not his sub-3 assists per game, not Byron Scott playing him so few 4th quarter minutes, not…anything. I still have full belief in Russell as a prospect.
In saying that, the same concerns I had about Russell heading into the draft still exist. He can get lost off the ball defensively and is susceptible to getting beat off the dribble too often.