Reviewing DeWayne Russell's Performance in Episode 1 of "Ghost"
From the outset of the video, you can tell that Grand Canyon's coaches and players love the presence of DeWayne Russell. If Russell ends up on a NBA team like the Los Angeles Lakers, continuity and charisma is key to their team chemistry and success. Do I need to remind everyone of the incident between D'Angelo Russell and Nick Young?
Seeing Russell learn from the likes of Oregon transfer, Casey Benson, and Grand Canyon assistant coach (and Casey's dad), TJ Benson, is enlightening. Casey Benson is a point guard with great ball security that just came off a 2016-2017 season in which he made it to the Final Four with the Oregon Ducks. As much as DeWayne Russell can absorb and learn from his peers and elders can go a long way towards his progression as a professional basketball player.
From a true performance standpoint, Russell's footwork was on point. An area of improvement is likely tied to the point guard's balance on his scoring attempts. He had great movement but did not always execute fully on his finishes at the hoop. For example, in the first run of the "curl hop" drill, his right-handed hook shot was a bit off. In the off-balance jumper drill run by TJ Benson, Russell was inaccurate at the beginning. By and large, once #0 masters the balance in his shooting, he will be on another level.
Since around the time of the college basketball all-star game and three-point contest, I see a clear improvement in DeWayne Russell's shot-making ability. His pull-up jumpers were extremely strong throughout the video. If the Peoria, Arizona native keeps that up, his professional basketball career will be prolonged. Thus far, Russell has had a workout with the Los Angeles Lakers, as I previously reported on the Runnin Rhody Twitter account. Having the legend and former Los Angeles Laker, Magic Johnson observe your performance means that it is truly the time for the big leagues.
As the time approaches for the 2017 NBA Draft, a couple more NBA scouts and executives may be checking in on #0.
