Many believe the Dallas Mavericks have resolved the situation of Kyrie Irving’s injuries by signing Dangelo Russell.
With Kyrie Irving on the sidelines, the Dallas Mavericks needed a point guard that could be used to do key ball-handling missions.
D’Angelo Russell appears to be a logical solution, serving as a primary ball handler and playmaker throughout his career.
There was a moment when Russell showed his ball handling capabilities, and during his prime year he averaged over 6.0 assists per game.
However, NBA journalist law Murray believes Russell is no longer the player, and points to a decline in his production as evidence of his decline in ability last season.
Instead of relying on Russell, Murray believes the Mavericks should give their top draft pick Cooper Flags a responsibility for ball handling.
Though not a traditional point guard, Flag gained experience as a primary ball handler during Duke’s career.
Head coach Jason Kidd considers the possibility that Flag could develop into a similar point forward to Grant Hill. Kid’s history, which cultivated versatile playmakers, supports this approach.
During his tenure in Milwaukee, Kidd used Giannis Antetocompo as his primary ball handler, accelerating the development of the Greek freak into a superstar.
“Jason Kidd, when he went to Milwaukee and got a job with the Bucks, he put the ball in Giannis’ hand and accelerated his potential. They (do the same thing to Cooper Flag).
Murray highlighted Russell’s low career figures between the Lakers and the net last season. Russell averaged 12.6 points, 5.1 assists and 2.8 rebounds on both stops.
His three-point shooting drastically fell to 31.4% from the 40% range he maintained in the previous season. These numbers represent Russell’s career-wide lowest mark.
Statistical decline raises questions about Russell’s ability to handle primary playmaking responsibilities for championship contending teams like Dallas.
Murray highlighted Dallas’ potential ceiling when he promises to develop Flagg as a major playmaker, rather than relying on Russell’s decline in capabilities.
“It’s going to be a bunch of Cooper Flags and guys you’re praying for, and if they’re holding for a long time, Dallas and the ceiling are high,” he added.
During Kid’s Milwaukee tenure in 2014-2018, Giannis has changed from a raw outlook to an All-Star caliber player. His numbers increased dramatically, moving from single digits to over 20 points per game.
Giannis has won All-Star and All-NBA choices under Kidd’s guidance, examining the coach’s development approach with a versatile forward.
Kidd has the opportunity to repeat this success with Flag by giving him a wide range of ball handling responsibility from the beginning of his career.
This strategy could accelerate the development of Flagg while providing Dallas with a long-term solution in a point-forward position, rather than relying on Russell’s decline in capabilities.