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Golden State Warriors: D’Angelo Russell’s playmaking will be valuable

By Tony Pesta

PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 25: D'Angelo Russell #1 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles down the court against the Portland Trail Blazers during their game at Moda Center on March 25, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 25: D'Angelo Russell #1 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles down the court against the Portland Trail Blazers during their game at Moda Center on March 25, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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The Golden State Warriors made a big move in trading for D’Angelo Russell.

In the wake of Kevin Durant‘s decision, the Golden State Warriors acted swiftly to acquire D’Angelo Russell in a sign-and-trade. This move kept the Dubs alive with a fresh breath of All-Star air. Losing Durant could have sabotaged this team, but is Russell enough to keep them afloat?

Russell is nowhere near the same talent level as Durant. KD is a 10-time All-Star, four-time scoring champ, two-time Finals MVP and one-time regular-season MVP. Meanwhile, Russell has only reached one All-Star game in his young career.

Of course, Russell has plenty of time to grow, but for now, he is a far cry from what Durant was bringing to the team. He will never be the prolific scorer that KD was. However, he does have a talent that Durant lacked: Playmaking.

Russell has shown signs of being a magnificent playmaker. Averaging a career-high 7.0 assists last season, Russell killed teams with his ability to dribble penetrate and find open teammates. He can create through isolation or in the pick-and-roll, making him a versatile attacker.

Passing the ball is something that the Warriors are already great at. They have consistently been one of the league’s leaders in assists each year and ranked first in assists per game last season with 29.4 a night.

Adding Russell to the lineup will help them become even more deadly in this aspect. With Stephen Curry and Draymond Green already being great primary ball handlers, Russell will add to this dynamic and act as a third weapon.

Next. The Warriors are going to shock the world. dark

Even though Russell won’t be as great of a scorer as Durant and he will never be able to shoot as efficiently as Klay Thompson, he brings something of value to this team. Look forward to D-Lo setting up his teammates all season long with the Dubs.

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