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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 – FEBRUARY 08: Fatts Russell #1 of the Rhode Island Rams (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 08: Fatts Russell #1 of the Rhode Island Rams (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /

Bottom line for Russell

And yes, I understand that some people may try to disregard Russell’s one main weakness because his strengths outweigh it, but those people are forgetting one major thing. It only takes one glaring weakness to damage a player’s chances of finding a permanent home in the NBA. Look at Trevon Duval for example.

Many people believed that the former 5-star high school recruit and Duke guard would be a star in the NBA by now (or at least a starter who is averaging 10 or more points per game). Unfortunately for them, he currently plays for the Iowa Wolves (The Minnesota Timberwolves’ G League affiliate), and has only appeared in three NBA games with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Why haven’t things worked out the way Duval probably wanted them to? Well, he wasn’t confident in his jump shot in college, and it clearly showed. He only shot 29% from three at Duke, and that was mainly because he thought that he could get away with slashing to the rim 24/7, and using his offensive creativity to get to his spots on the floor. When he had to demonstrate that he could be a real threat from the outside he failed, and foolishly thought that he had done enough to get drafted when he had not.

Now, am I saying that Duval will never get a full-time gig in the NBA? Of course not, he is just 21 years old, and if he makes the best out of his current situation, I believe that he could be a solid role player in the NBA. However, Duval made a mistake that could haunt him for the rest of his life, and as a result, he now has to fight even harder to prove that he can be a valuable asset to an NBA team.

Next. Breaking down Rams 2020 class of newcomers. dark

The bottom line is if you are a legitimate NBA prospect, and you know that you have one weakness that will hinder you from succeeding at the professional level, you should seriously think about returning to school, and turning that weakness into a strength. In Russell’s case, I honestly believe that if he can show scouts that he can make better decisions when he is driving, he’ll be in a good spot when next year’s draft rolls around. Look for Russell to build on the success he had last season in the Atlantic 10, and show NBA teams that they shouldn’t be scared to pull the trigger on him.

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