D’Angelo Russell will need to take his shooting to another level for the Golden State Warriors this season.
The Golden State Warriors will be relying heavily on D’Angelo Russell to have an All-Star caliber season this year. How D-Lo evolves as a shooter will directly impact his productiveness with the Dubs.
The Warriors stand alone at the top of the NBA mountain in terms of 3-point shooting. While great shooting teams have come before and many have attempted to replicate the Warriors 3-point prowess, no franchise has ever seen more success from deep than the Dubs.
Golden State has ranked in the top five for 3-pointers made in five of the last six seasons. It’s no coincidence that the squad has also appeared in the last five NBA Finals and captured three titles during this stretch.
The 3-point shot is an important facet of the Warriors offense. Without it, the rest of their game wouldn’t be as effective. Due to the elite marksmanship of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, the Warriors have created the most deadly offense in NBA history.
Of course, things have changed drastically for the Dubs. Over the summer, the Warriors lost not only Durant but also Thompson to an ACL injury. With KD gone and Thompson sidelined until the All-Star break, Golden State will need someone to step up as a shooter.
Curry will do his thing, per usual. However, if the Warriors want to remain a title contender, Russell will be asked to improve as a shooter.
For his career, Russell is a 35.3 percent 3-point shooter. This is below average and a worrying sign for the Warriors. Luckily, D-Lo has shown signs of improvement, connecting on a career-high 36.9 percent of his attempts last season.
Furthermore, D-Lo shot an efficient 39.9 percent on catch-and-shoot opportunities. This skill can prove to be useful for Russell as he will shoot a high-frequency of these types of shots. His stroke from deep looks promising and with a little bit of adjustment, he should be able to make the most of his new situation.
Overall, the Warriors will be counting on Russell to knock down his deep shots. If he can do this, the Dubs will look like they never missed a beat. Heading into a tough 2019-20 NBA season, a lot is riding on this 23-year-old All-Star.