D’Angelo Russell could really become the next Agent Zero. More than anyone else in this NBA Draft class, he has that wow factor. Like Gilbert Arenas, he wears #0 and is a true scorer. Not just a shooter, but a total package scorer. The 6-foot-5-inch Ohio State guard from Louisville, was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the second pick of the 2015 NBA First Round Thursday in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Take a look at the D’Angelo Russell highlight reel below and you’ll agree, he’s got a lot of “boom” (boom as in boom-or-bust) potential. Perhaps more so than anyone in this class:
Before Draft night, most sports books gave the Los Angeles Lakers 100/1 odds, or thereabouts, to win the NBA championship next season. Now with the addition of Russell, who possesses both a tremendous work ethic and a traditional shooter’s mentality, expect those Lakers odds to be slashed tremendously. Their odds will become even more favorable if and when they get a new big to team up with D’Angelo Russell and Kobe Bryant.
In their new franchise player, they’ve got themselves a truly indefatigable worker, who will hit the gym really hard the night following an off shooting night.
He also has that “short memory” a shooter needs to make it in the league. Shooting slumps don’t phase him.
Russell is the sixth Ohio State true freshman to go in the NBA Draft’s first round since Thad Matta took over the program in 2004-05.
Matta said Laker fans will enjoy watching Russell.
“D’Angelo has worked extremely hard to achieve success on the basketball court,” Matta said.
“He is one of the most talented players we’ve had in our program. He makes everyone around him better with the way he sees the game and I look forward to watching him perform at the NBA level.”
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports Digital. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. He also appears regularly on numerous sports talk radio stations all across the country.
Follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook