[SwatLakeCityParticipant]

After reading last night’s post on Marshall’s game last night vs NC State, many people are saying that Marshall can score just as well as he can pass. I argue however that last night’s game was a fluke.

Why:

1. His averages before this game were: 6.6pts, 9.7 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.2 boards. His statline for last night’s game against NC state was 22pts, 13 assists, 1 steal and 2 boards. Every guy has his days where he is on fire. No matter how good you may be, there are going to be nights were you are on fire and nights when you are not. It seems last night Marshall was on fire but more often he is not on fire and therefore I would conclude that Marshall still can’t score as well as he can pass. Numbers don’t lie.

2. Many have said that Marshall was playing against an NBA opponent last night in Lorenzo Brown (who had 18pts, 4 assists, 5 boards, and 1 steal in a losing effort) I argue that that doesn’t matter because Marshall has played Brown before this season and did not do so well last time out. Only got 7pts, 11 assists, 4 boards and no steals.

3. I did not watch the game last night therefore I don’t know if Marshall looked faster or if he defended Brown well. But defense or speed does not grow overnight. Your defense and speed stays the same no matter what unless you work at it constantly and even than its only a slow gradual process not a one night sell out. We’ve known Marshall to be slow defensively so I’m sure that last night he was still slow defensively in guarding Brown. To prove this Brown also had a game above his averages(points wise). He was averaging 12pts, 6.5 assists, 4.3 boards and 1.6 steals before last night’s game

So my conclusion is that last night’s game was a fluke, he is still someone who can only pass. He is still slow defensively and cannot score as well as he can pass. Thoughts?

[tjmartin23Participant]

 Of course Marshall is not going to be a guy who gets a 20-10 every game, but that does not mean he isn’t good. He is not out there to score for UNC, he plays within his role and sets guys up. At the next level, I can see him, at best, being a 13-10 guy. I don’t think this game was a fluke as much as it was him just having a real good game. 

[So raspyParticipant]

whoever’s arguing that he’s "better" now isn’t being honest with themselves. One game doesn’t change his NBA prospects.

[SpacegrassParticipant]

Marshall is a better player , if you can’t see that I can’t help you.  As for Marshall as an NBA prospect?  It is going to depend on what type of system he is in , if he has shooters and offensive options around him he will contend for leading the league in assists as long as he is a starter.  He has the size you want , he is better than anyone I see passing the ball other than a handful of guys in the NBA and he is only 20 years old so despite his lacking elite athleticism he is arguably the best point guard in college.  He is a top 20 pick , the question is does he go 20 or does he go 12 in the draft but , he will be a top 20 pick.

[nbafan7898Participant]

 I believe that Marshall isn’t going to be a guy who puts up those stats on a nightly basis.  He doesn’t have to to have an impact on a game when he is dishing out 9+ assists, (which is at least 18 points).  But I do think he answered a lot of questions about his shooting and his ability to score.  He didn’t take bad shots at all, he did it within the team concept and looked for his shot more while dishing out 13 assists.  And he did it in every way from deep, mid range and attacking the basket.  

Wardb12 as for your point number 2 do you realize what you are saying?  Marshall AT THE VERY LEAST contributed to 29 points that game.  And last night AT THE VERY LEAST he contributed to 48 of UNC’s 86 points.  More than half.  He dominated both games against the Wolfpack.  Marshalls averages of 7 points and 10 assists a game mean that he influences on average 27 of UNC’s 83 points a game.  Thats about a third of UNC’s points are influenced by Marshall.

As for point number 3, I wish people would realize that UNC virtually has no backup PG.  (When Stilman White is in the game UNC has Barnes bring the ball up more than half the time)  He has to stay out of foul trouble and therefore cannot play with the defensive intensity that one would like.  Had Larry Drew not transfered maybe the defensive argument wouldn’t exist.

A lot of people are going to bring up his percentages for the season, but I think it is unfair to judge someone who doesn’t shoot that much.  I mean the most shots he has taken in a game this season was 11 against Wake Forest.  Obviously the less shots one takes the lower his percentage is going to be.  

I keep telling you all to think of Rubio this year as the player that Marshall can be.  Everyone is saying the exact same things they said about Rubio.  

[SwatLakeCityParticipant]

I’m not saying Marshall is not good, I’m saying he’s just what we know him to be  I know he’s passer. I don’t doubt his passing. What I do doubt is whether or not he can score just as much as he can pass. Last night’s game was a fluke. Yes, he contributes to a third of UNC’s points, I have not doubt about that. I am not doubting him as a playmaker, he’s a great playmaker. I’m doubting him as a scorer/shooter. Yes, he doesn’t put up too many 3’s or shoot or score that much, but maybe that’s because he has a very high basketball IQ and knows he is not a great shooter, so he’s going to put up very many shots.

So last night’s game was a fluke (in other words he was just having a really good game), he is still someone who can pass very well, with an above average basketball IQ. No different than what we thought he was. He can not score or shoot as well as he can pass. I also think he will average 13 and 10 in the NBA, but what I saw from last night’s post on him was that he has proved that he score just as well as he can pass. Or in other words he will average 20 and 10 in the NBA which is not going to happen.

[nbafan7898Participant]

 My post was not directed to the people who say that Marshall was going to average 20 and 10.  I think those people are nuts actually.  My post was directed to the people that said he can’t shoot or score that the reason he doesn’t score that much is because he doesn’t have the ability.  He for sure answered those questions last night that when he has to he sure can, and he has done it throughout his career.  I probably should have clarified that in my post saying that that was directed to the people that say he is a scrub because he doesn’t have ANY ability to score.    But I think 13 and 10 is a very reasonable guess to the player that he can be in the NBA.  Sorry for the confusion my friend!  haha

[So raspyParticipant]

 If Marshall has a rookie year anything like Rubio I’d be shocked

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

 I think Marshal could struggle to create his own shot in the association due to his lack of speed, quickness, and lift on jump shot, and I do believe you have to be somewhat of a scoring threat at times to set up some of those passing lanes but I think he’s crafty enough to figure it out throughout his career.

[Ghost01Participant]

This guy legitimately brings nothing to the table other than passing. He is a GREAT passer. But he has alot of holes and I don’t love him at all at the next level.

[bloodshyParticipant]

As an NBA prospect only one thing may have changed for Marshall last night.  His long ball looked great.  It’s certainly the case that anyone can have a hot game shooting the 3 and that was the case for Marshall.  However, if last night is the beginning of proving he’s a consistent outside threat, it moves him from being picked around #20 to around #10.

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

Never been sold on him even in the 1 st round.

[Demarcus OnealParticipant]

 You didn’t even watch the game so how can you make this analysis of Marshall’s scoring ability? 

[StF616Participant]

 1st, You didnt even watch the game, 2nd .. who ever said that marshall was going to be a consistent 20 Point scorer??

[Mr. 19134Participant]

 Ward I agreed with everything you said and you are exactly right but don’t tell Jon Oats that he’ll murder you in your sleep, and he told me he loves fighting so be careful.  Oats and others think Marshall could average 10 apg and less then 3 t.o.’s in the leauge today, I think they’re all smoking cracc because Marshall is not that special.

Look who he’s passing the ball too?  Like come on it only takes an averaged skilled PG with above average passing ability to average over 7apg on UNC.  First off Marhsall can’t score at all so he has no other option but to pass, and when he does he’s passing to All Americans and like 3 or 4 lotto picks.  Barnes has been on fire all year.

And people we also saying Marshall can do this whenever he wants…..um don’t you think Marshall wants to make it everytime he shoots?  With that said Marshall went like 5 games without even hitting a 3 before last nights game he was bound to hit something.  Even a broke clock is right once a day.  

Like dude was shooting 27% from 3 and nearly all of them were wide open 3’s and people wanna say after one game that he can shoot now.  No.  

ED COTA.  Does anybody remenber Ed Cota?  He averaged over 7.5 apg as a freshman and sophomore while playing on a UNC team that featured Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison.  He was out of the league quicker then he was drafted because he couldn’t shoot a lick and didn’t have Carter to pass to anymore.  He was also way more athletic then Marshall.

[rickybobbyParticipant]

 I disagree with alot of what u said. Yea u can atribute some of his assist to the players on his team, but he runs that team like no one else can in the nation. The shots he creates for everyone is amazing since he’s a guy who doesnt look to score himself. I honestly think he could have average a double double this year if he would have been more aggressive and confindent.

When he is like last night he gets to the basket easy not with speed but with strength and his shot is better he just doesnt shoot it with confident some times and he’s admitted that in his press conference after the game.

And you dont have to bee athletic to play point in the Nba or play in the league in general. I think everyone is getting caught up in these high-flying score first point guards that dominant the league now, but guys like Andre Miller are really good players without being athletic and thats who i would compare Marshall to the most.  

And everybody cant run UNC system look at Larry Drew i liked his game but obvisoulsy wasnt able to get them to play winning basketball or play to their potential and he had the same players Marshall has now.

 

[SwatLakeCityParticipant]

I agree with most of what Mr 19134  and woo woo have said. I do think that Marshall has an incredible knack for running the UNC offense that cannot be disputed. True, he is playing with 3 maybe 4 potential lottery picks (Barnes, Henson, Mcadoo and maybe Hairston), but last year was the key. UNC did not always trust Marshall to run the offense. First UNC trusted Larry Drew to run it. When he proved that he could not run the job fell to Marshall by default and he has done a wonderful job at running the offense. Second, the fact that he is basically the only Point Guard that UNC has. Stillman White does not play to often. And when he does come in, Harrison Barnes becomes a point forward and that may be the reason why UNC does not win the Tourney this year. (Barnes is not that great of a point forward and really needs to work on that part of his game) Marshall’s playmaking ability simply cannot be disputed he does have it. 

Its true that Marshall is not a scorer but a passer. He is pass first point guard but he can rely on his strength to get his points, and that is where his offensive game will come from. This is what he needs to develop as well as his defense. True it will never be as deadly as his ability to create for others is but it can help him develop in the future. Because of his poor shooting, poor defensive game, and the fact that he is only a passer right now is the reason why he will be a late lottery pick or possibly a top 20 pick instead of a top 10 pick like some people tend to think. He was on fire on tuesday night, and it was bound to happen sometime, but it was not a glimpse of the future. He needs to develop his strength more and use that as an offensive game and defensive game as well. If he does not develop it he may never have an offensive game and only be a passer in the NBA.

He will not be a 20 and 10 guy in the NBA. Even if he does develop his strength in the future that can simply not be enough to be a 20 and 10 guy in the NBA. He has no first step, and he may never develop a first step as well and that I think is the reason why he will never be a 20 and 10 guy. But he can get around 13pts a game and 10 assists in the NBA. He can be an Andre Miller type player that woo woo mentioned. And that kind of player will be a great thing to see in the NBA even if it only comes from a small handful of players. I do like him as a prospect because of his uncanny ability to create for others but if a team drafts him in the top 10 because they think he can become a 20 and 10 guy then they will sorely dissapointed. A point guard may not even be drafted in the top 10 this year, and if one is, that team might be sorely dissapointed as well.

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