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NBA Mock Draft 2015 Update: D'Angelo Russell Projects as Top-5 Pick, Due for Decision Soon

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Perhaps the last major NBA prospect to officially declare for the draft, Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell's decision is expected soon, because it has to be so.

With the NBA Draft set for June 25, college players who want to throw their hat in the ring must make up their minds by April 26, giving Russell a week. Not including the international players expected to go early on, Russell is the last bona fide top-five college player to declare for the draft.

According to ESPN's NBA insider Chad Ford, Russell projects as the fourth-best player overall and the second-best guard behind China's Emmanuel Mudiay.

As six feet and five inches tall and 176 pounds, Russell fits the prototypical size of a guard in today's NBA. He primarily plays point guard - and is a talented ball handler and passer - but his size will allow him to play shooting guard as well.

Russell is one of the most offensively gifted players in the draft with an excellent jump shot from in and beyond the three-point arc. But Russell is also capable in driving to the basket and scoring from close range, showing an above-average free throw shooting percentage.

Ford noted that Russell lacks the supreme athleticism and explosiveness NBA teams covet in guards nowadays, but his top-five projections is a sign that his offensive talent makes up for what he lacks. His six-foot-five frame also has room to fill out, which will eventually allow him to be more physical.

Despite his high projection in the NBA Draft, Russell has apparently taken almost all the time he is allowed. He is painstakingly considering his options, shooting down along the way any reports that indicate he has his mind made up.

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