Evaluating Kendall Marshall In Transition

[jonathanlambert33]

The Suns are 3-0 thus far in the Las Vegas Summer League, but not everyone is feeling lucky in the desert. Over the last few days, questions about last year’s first-round draft pick Kendall Marshall have been raised, and his future in Phoenix has become suddenly cloudy like a mid-afternoon monsoon. With the arrivals of Eric Bledsoe and Archie Goodwin, Marshall finds himself buried in the Suns’ backcourt depth chart. This congestion and Marshall’s lack of improvement over his first 12 months in the NBA has led to his name being floated in trade rumors, which Kevin Zimmerman covered earlier this week.

In addition, new head coach Jeff Hornacek, in an interview with arizonasports.com, was critical of some parts of Marshall’s game, namely his ability to attack in transition. It was this criticism, more so than the trade rumors or new roster competition, that sparked Kendall’s ire. As he is wont to do, Marshall took to Twitter to express his frustration (though these tweets were subsequently deleted.) He took issue with the idea that he couldn’t lead the Phoenix fast break effectively, citing how much his Tar Heels got out in transition when he was still in Chapel Hill. And Marshall has a point. UNC was a great fast-break team during Marshall’s final collegiate season. But being great at something in college doesn’t always translate to success at the NBA level, and some, including Coach Hornacek, would say this is the case with Kendall. So the question remains, is Marshall good in transition or not? Let’s break it down.

Three Characteristics of an Effective Ball Handler in Transition

1. Speed: Having elite speed is great, but it’s not nearly as important on the fast break as acceleration. The NBA court is only so long. The faster a player can get out of the blocks i.e. start the break, the more likely he is to generate a bucket on the other end. Even if a ball handler’s top speed is slower than the defense’s, the ability to reach that speed quickly can still allow him to get out in front of his opponents.

2. Good Decision Making: The goal of a fast break is to take advantage of an opponent’s mistake and score. Sometimes that means the ball-handler finds a teammate for a great shot or easy basket. Sometimes that means he keeps the ball and attacks the basket himself. Deciding which move is the right move, in a split second, is crucial to avoiding turnovers and racking up fast break points.

3. Ability to Finish at the Rim: Most transition baskets are layups. In order to consistently take advantage of a disadvantaged opponent in transition, ball handlers must be able to finish at the hoop. There is almost always contact from the defender on transition layups, and oftentimes guards are called upon to score at the hoop with larger players chasing them down from behind. Players leading the break must be able to keep the ball for themselves and finish from point blank range if that is the best opportunity available in a given transition scenario.

Does Marshall display these characteristics? Let’s take it point-by-point.

Read more: http://valleyofthesuns.com/2013/07/18/evaluating-kendall-marshall-in-transition/#ixzz2Zn52RFSF

 

[Wolves United]

I don't think Marhsall can finish and he isn't very quick for a point guard, but he does have good decision making.