Ohio State freshman D'Angelo Russell could end up with the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2015 NBA draft, according to two analysts' recent mock drafts. If Philadelphia were to draft Russell, they'd land a player whom one of the analysts compared to Houston Rockets star James Harden.
Philadelphia (12-44) is tied for the second-worst record in the NBA. If the percentages held true, the 76ers would come away from the draft lottery with the second or third pick of the draft. Assuming Philadelphia does land the No. 2 or 3 pick, at least two analysts - Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders and Chad Ford of ESPN - believe the 76ers will select the 6-foot-5 combo guard.
"This one could have gone one of two ways - Russell or (Emmanuel) Mudiay, but opting for Russell was more about a proven body of work and more versatility," Kyler wrote Tuesday. "The 76ers just traded out of guard Michael Carter-Williams and this is likely why. Russell should be a ready-to-play, impact player for the 76ers and his ceiling may be slightly higher than Mudiay's."
Ford also believes Russell could land in Philadelphia, calling him "the best fit" for the 76ers and comparing him as a scorer to Harden.
"Of the guys at the top of the draft, Russell is far and away the best fit for the Sixers. If (Joel) Embiid can get healthy and live up to his potential, (Nerlens) Noel and (Carter-Williams) continue to develop, (Dario) Saric comes over and continues his strong play from Europe, and Russell comes in as a dominant backcourt scorer in the mold of James Harden, suddenly the Sixers' future starts to look much brighter," Ford wrote last week, before Philadelphia traded Carter-Williams.
Russell, who's averaging 19.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists, has been called the "most skilled player" in the 2015 draft and received praise for already having the "poise and countenance of a 10-year NBA veteran."
If Philadelphia were to land the No. 1 pick of the draft, though, they could end up selecting Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor. Although 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie already has Embiid and Noel in the frontcourt, his reputation for being a collector of assets means he could choose Okafor, the consensus No. 1 pick of the draft - potentially just to trade him.
