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D'Angelo Russell's role, minutes and production have fluctuated through his rookie season, but the ups and downs haven't been anything unexpected for a 19-year-old point guard. What has been surprising, though, is how good he is as a finisher inside this early in his career. Russell's shooting 57.6 percent when he's within 8' of the basket, as I explored in a breakdown of how he used his size advantage to bully the New Orleans Pelicans, and that's because of his touch in the paint.
D'Angelo already has a pretty floater that he puts up with confidence. He's also good at using his wingspan to lean into the basket and score around defenders small and big. Russell reads angles around the glass well and is quick to attack openings. His floater, quickness and length give him a toolset that can break down defenders in a variety of ways. The Los Angeles Lakers score the fewest points in the paint per game in the NBA, an area Russell can help address as his role increases.
Here's how he's doing it in full film breakdown, via our official Facebook page:
Lakers Film Breakdown: D'Angelo Russell's inside scoringD'Angelo Russell's already a dangerous inside scorer. Full film breakdown of the LA Lakers rookie guard, whose floater will have you coming back for more.
Posted by Silver Screen and Roll on Friday, February 5, 2016
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