New ESPN ranking shows massive disrespect to D’Angelo Russell

Leading up to the start of the 2022-23 season, ESPN released their yearly list of who they consider to be the top 100 players in the NBA for the upcoming year. As per the usual, there were several picks that could be considered questionable.

The Minnesota Timberwolves wound up with four total players in the top 100, but one player in particular was ranked far below where he deserved to be: D’Angelo Russell.

Listed as just the 93rd best player in the NBA by ESPN, D’Lo was found much further down this list than many Timberwolves and NBA fans would expect. His talent deserves far more recognition than this, and we’re not going to stand for it.

D’Angelo Russell Is A Top 50 Talent

Right off the bat, most any basketball fan could tell you D’Angelo Russell’s placement at 93rd was an obvious mistake. While he’s not a top 10 player in the league, D’Lo should easily be considered a top 50-level player.

There are several players listed above him that would make any reader of the list scratch their head in confusion. Paolo Banchero, who hasn’t even stepped foot on an NBA court yet, was ranked 11 spots higher at number 82.

It’s rankings like this that make one think ESPN may have had their priorities out of order when making this list. As good of a player as Josh Giddey is, he has no business being ranked 12 spots above a highly productive veteran like D’Angelo Russell.

D’Lo Should Be Out To Prove Doubters Wrong

Clearly, the perception of Russell’s talent is miscalculated in the minds of some at ESPN. While D’Lo probably doesn’t read every headline out there, it seems likely that he’ll catch wind of this snub sooner or later, and keep it in mind as he prepares for the upcoming season.

Russell’s performance in the playoffs may have contributed to his low ranking. But if you watched him throughout the regular season in 2021-22, you’d recall the stellar campaign he put together, averaging 18.1 points and a career-high 7.1 assists. He was one of the better point guards in the league over the course of the season.

Luckily, he’ll have an arsenal of talent at his disposal this coming year. With Anthony Edwards as his backcourt partner and a monster duo of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns operating on the interior, Russell will have all the help he needs to prove this hot take wrong.