Patrick Causey, on Twitter @PhillySportsJD
I have been firmly in the D'Angelo Russell fan club since about two months ago. The kid is electric. He's confident. He has moxie. He can shoot. And my God can he pass a basketball.
His passing ability is so much more than this though. And his vision is divine. It's a rare gift that, in my humble opinion, simply cannot be taught.
But don't take my word for it. Take the word from the Godfather of college basketball. None other than Rick Pitino, who had the following to say to ESPN about Russell's passing ability:
"In the last 30-some-odd years, outside of Magic Johnson, he's the best passer I've seen come along in a long time. He has great instincts, really understands the game very well. Any time you have that type of passing skills and that offensive mind for the game, I think you are going to be something special. It would not surprise me to see him win rookie of the year."
It goes without say that this is incredibly high praise from Pitino. Since Johnson has come in the league, we have seen point guards like John Stockton and Chris Paul, amazing passers in their own right. For Pitino to put Russell ahead of those and other players is telling as to how special Russell can truly be. Here's hoping he is wearing a Sixers uniform in just over 24 hours.
