The NBA Draft Lottery will take place Tuesday, at which point D'Angelo Russell will have a better idea of where he'll be selected.
If you ask Russell for his evaluation of his own talent, he already knows where in the draft he should go:
That may seem like an arrogant statement to make for someone who isn't necessarily considered to be on the same level as Karl-Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor. For anyone who knows Russell's personality, it's not disingenuous. Nor is he so overly comfortable with this notion he is the best player in the draft that he won't continue to work hard enough to make it a reality – he will.
Russell is not taking this process for granted, even though he, like many projected first rounders, did not take part in physical drills or the five-on-five competition.
"It's hard, but you have to treat this event like it's not something you're just trying to get out the way," he said on NBA TV. "You have to treat it like you've never been here before. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience that not a lot of people get."
Only a year ago, Russell thought he'd be a four-year player and wasn't on any team's draft board. Now, a Sporting News source said teams will consider taking him No. 1 overall. That isn't reflected in the latest mock drafts – ESPN, NBADraft.net and Draft Express all have him going third overall. If the right team jumps to No. 1, that might change.
The Philadelphia 76ers selected the injured Joel Embiid, last season, and traded for Nerlens Noel in 2013. Noel is already establishing himself as one of the better rim protectors in the league and Embiid had No. 1 overall pick potential before injuries threatened to derail his entire 2014-15 season.
Would Philly really take another big man with Ish Smith, Jeremi Grant and JaKarr Sampson as the top members of their backcourt rotation? Well, one league scout told the Philadelphia Inquirer the Sixers "don't need" Towns, and Russell "has the highest upside" in the draft.
Russell would embrace the chance to go to a team like Philadelphia, one which would give him the chance to play early and often.
"The player that I am, I feel like I can make a major impact right away, wherever I go," he said on NBA TV. "It's definitely going to be an adjustment, but I'm looking forward to whatever team I get drafted by to come in with the right attitude, positive mentality and do whatever I have to do to help the team."
As for what kind of player he'll be in the pros, draft analysts are already making comparisons that will be tough to live up to. Seth Davis already threw the Steph Curry parallel out there, a reporter asked him about James Harden and NBADraft.net compared him to Brandon Roy.
Russell mentioned one NBA player he actually patterns himself after: Manu Ginobili. Like the Spurs guard, he can take over the offense when needed.
"Not a lot of guys really value [Ginobili's] play. Growing up, that was a guy I really focused on," he said. "I've been playing the combo role my whole life, I never really considered myself a 'one' or 'two,' specifically."
At the same time, Russell isn't dismissing those comparisons to Curry.
"I don’t want to sound like I’m overdoing it since he’s the MVP of the league,” he said, via BallisLife.com. “But when I watch his game, I see myself. The plays he makes, the shots he takes, and passes he makes, I see it before it even happens. I feel like that’s what separates me from a lot.”
