As Jalen Rose mentioned countless times last night during the Houston Rockets and Golden State playoff game that the NBA is turning into position less basketball. This form of basketball was sort of created by Mike D’Antoni and revitalized during the Miami Heat era of the “Big 3”. With teams relying heavily on three point shooting, passing, and spacing it gives guards a better chance at succeeding. With that said I feel that D’Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay are the most intriguing prospects of the upcoming draft. It is almost given that Karl Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor will be selected at the No.1 and No. 2 spots, but Russell and Mudiay will likely follow up at No.3 and No. 4.
I feel that you can’t pass up on Towns and Okfafor knowing that it’s rare to find a 7-foot guy that can walk, chew gum, and make a jump hook. With the new style of the NBA and the way that coaches alter their styles I feel like Russell and Mudiay will be instant hits due to them having control of the keys to the offense.
Jalen Rose also mentioned that the NBA is becoming a 6’9 and under league meaning that big men in the NBA are becoming what running backs are in the NFL. Having a legit big man was a key cog in winning a NBA title, but with other teams playing small ball it’s hard for the bigger guys to switch pick and rolls.
Russell and Mudiay may not be regarded as the best prospects to some, but I feel like they have a chance to be the most valuable players in the NBA Draft. As the league continues to adapt to a faster pace with smaller and versatile players the NBA has become a great place to be a perimeter player.
The point guard is the most important position in the NBA, and if you have the skill set to be able to shoot, distribute, get to the foul line you have a great chance to succeed. Russell and Mudiay all have shown flashes of the skills mentioned above and if it translates to the NBA two teams will be very happy with their draft selections.
