Now that we are locked into the #8 pick I am positive that Kendall Marshall is the absolute best pick for the Raptors. Here's why:
This past season the Raptors improved on defense and dropped on offense. While pace has something to do with the overall numbers, from the adjusted stats it is still clear that Casey lacks some offensive vision.
Marshall is not a scorer. But what Marshall loses in scoring he will more than make up for by making his teammates better offensively. Also, his shot is not broken, he probably just needs more reps.
Beyond that, passing the ball is infectious and makes for better team chemistry. Marshall is intelligent, has a high basketball IQ and has already proven himself to be a leader. Better team chemistry and more guys with a high IQ are going to help change the team culture. Plus, Casey's defensive schemes require some intelligence. Thus Marshall is better suited to team-oriented defensive strategies.
Marshall was arguably the best passer in the NCAA last year. In the NBA you need guys with elite skills at their position. For instance, in nearly every draft someone drafts the top rebounder in the NCAA somewhere later in the draft and instantly gets a boost in that department. Just look at The Manimal, Milsap ect. It's all about elite skills.
If scoring is still a concern despite improvement from other players, at least scoring is the easiest skill to buy in the NBA.
Marshall is efficient. While he doesn't shoot the ball often, he does shoot it well when he does. He shot close to 47% from the field, 36% from three and 70% from the line. Decent if not spectacular stats. He also posted an assists to turnover ratio of 3.5 that would put him in the top 5 pgs in the NBA. Okay, those are NCAA numbers, but they are a harbinger.
Also, he has shown steady improvement in both his NCAA seasons. http://statsheet.com/mcb/players/pla...&chart3=fg_pct
Valanciunas, Davis and Amir all need someone to create shots for them in the PnR. Just have a look at this video and pretend Henson is Davis and Zeller is Val.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwSnZmXckcM
Marshall also fits into a potential narrative of the 2013 season. The Raps can go into the season with Jose, Bay and KM. Jose will be a great trade chip before the deadline. That gives the team enough time to get Marshall integrated before taking over full time PG duties.
Yes... these are the positives. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on negatives. As well as comments on the overall themes in this evaluation. eg, Culture change, elite skills, win-now vs win later ect...
For a relatively unbiased look at Marshall's passing check out this video. It has turnovers and bad passes as well.
This past season the Raptors improved on defense and dropped on offense. While pace has something to do with the overall numbers, from the adjusted stats it is still clear that Casey lacks some offensive vision.
Marshall is not a scorer. But what Marshall loses in scoring he will more than make up for by making his teammates better offensively. Also, his shot is not broken, he probably just needs more reps.
Beyond that, passing the ball is infectious and makes for better team chemistry. Marshall is intelligent, has a high basketball IQ and has already proven himself to be a leader. Better team chemistry and more guys with a high IQ are going to help change the team culture. Plus, Casey's defensive schemes require some intelligence. Thus Marshall is better suited to team-oriented defensive strategies.
Marshall was arguably the best passer in the NCAA last year. In the NBA you need guys with elite skills at their position. For instance, in nearly every draft someone drafts the top rebounder in the NCAA somewhere later in the draft and instantly gets a boost in that department. Just look at The Manimal, Milsap ect. It's all about elite skills.
If scoring is still a concern despite improvement from other players, at least scoring is the easiest skill to buy in the NBA.
Marshall is efficient. While he doesn't shoot the ball often, he does shoot it well when he does. He shot close to 47% from the field, 36% from three and 70% from the line. Decent if not spectacular stats. He also posted an assists to turnover ratio of 3.5 that would put him in the top 5 pgs in the NBA. Okay, those are NCAA numbers, but they are a harbinger.
Also, he has shown steady improvement in both his NCAA seasons. http://statsheet.com/mcb/players/pla...&chart3=fg_pct
Valanciunas, Davis and Amir all need someone to create shots for them in the PnR. Just have a look at this video and pretend Henson is Davis and Zeller is Val.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwSnZmXckcM
Marshall also fits into a potential narrative of the 2013 season. The Raps can go into the season with Jose, Bay and KM. Jose will be a great trade chip before the deadline. That gives the team enough time to get Marshall integrated before taking over full time PG duties.
Yes... these are the positives. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on negatives. As well as comments on the overall themes in this evaluation. eg, Culture change, elite skills, win-now vs win later ect...
For a relatively unbiased look at Marshall's passing check out this video. It has turnovers and bad passes as well.
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