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Rhode Island Basketball: Why Fatts Russell returning to Rams is right move

By Caleb Hightower

COLLEGE PARK, MD - NOVEMBER 09: Fatts Russell #1 of the Rhode Island Rams dribbles by Ricky Lindo Jr. #4 of the Maryland Terrapins during a basketball game at the Xfinity Center on November 9, 2019 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD - NOVEMBER 09: Fatts Russell #1 of the Rhode Island Rams dribbles by Ricky Lindo Jr. #4 of the Maryland Terrapins during a basketball game at the Xfinity Center on November 9, 2019 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 9: Fatts Russell #2 of the Rhode Island Rams (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 9: Fatts Russell #2 of the Rhode Island Rams (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

What to Improve on

As I mentioned earlier, Russell doesn’t have much of a problem getting by his initial defender, but next season he needs to show that he can consistently make better decisions when he gets deep into the paint. Sometimes he realizes that neither of the opposing team’s big men is in a great position to alter or block his shot, and as a result, he finishes a reverse layup, a finger roll, or he’ll decide to switch hands in the air and proceed to finish. However, many times bigs are waiting for him to go up and test them so that they can forcefully swat his shot, or affect it at the last second, which they were able to do frequently last season.

Because he only stands at 5’10”, and isn’t the strongest guard in college basketball, his best option would be to utilize his floater more often, right before bigs contest his shots. He could also consistently drive all the way to the basket, make sure that he has a good angle, and get the ball up on the rim as fast as possible (preferably high off the glass).

This way, even if he is unable to convert, his teammates will be able to clean up his misses, because the opposing team’s big men put all of their energy into trying to block his shot. If he feels like he is getting ready to force a shot at the rim, he could always jump stop and survey all of his options before making his next move.

I am not saying that Russell doesn’t do these things at all, I am just pointing out the fact that he must prove that he can get into the lane time and time again, and make the play that will benefit him and his team the most. Continuously trying to get into the body of the opposing team’s big men, double-clutch to avoid getting his shot blocked, and shoot off-balance runners off the wrong foot, as he is fading away from the basket, will not work for him at the professional level.

Decision making is everything when it comes to basketball, and as players transition from high school basketball to college basketball, and from college basketball to the NBA, they need to understand that it is the one thing that will separate them from other players. Yeah, they may be strong, fast, athletic, crafty, and able to shoot the three, but are they capable of making the right plays when their team is trying to hang on to a slim lead? Or when a game is tied late in the second half? If the answer is no, then they might need to consider taking a step back and thinking about how that may affect them in the future.

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