imo MARCUS LEE has a chance to be a defensive poy candidate

[Bkocats]

As with all our players, I love Marcus Lee. However, I agree with the posters who say he won't see the minutes necessary to develop as a contender as DPOY. Nor, really, does he have enough of the skills necessary.

Lee's biggest contribution to this team, IMO - is his energy. He LOVES being on the floor and contributing what he can. Every now and then he'll get into a zone and play like a man on a mission. But, unfortunately, he's too inconsistent.

Then again......anything is possible. So, who knows?

 

[Blue Decade]

obviously he would need the minutes... anyway, i think he can guard just about anyone inside the three point line on the college level, and his close outs on shooters ought to be a valuable weapon for us this year, on help d.

i was just watching him in particular towards the end of last season, and it's easy to see and compare him to the three other nba caliber bigs that were on that team. but if you just look at him and his length and quickness/instinct and compare him to what's out there (around the country), he a complete mismatch for other teams defensively. and i see this being potentially the case inside on the block as well.

he is so good at keeping his hands up. there are pf's that could get position on him posting up and maybe back him down, but scoring on him i believe is going to be a different story this season. i think he could be our blocks reb steals leader per minute. he's that active guys.

Marcus Lee is a good defensive player and a very good rebounder. His ability to move his feet and use his long arms to grab competitive rebounds impressed me last year. But there are reasons why he hasn't gotten minutes. Willie Cauley Stein was just 1 of those reasons. Lee has trouble fighting to keep good defensive position in the lane because he has skinny legs. That's why he is so foul prone. Lee cannot take the next step to elevate his defensive game until he becomes physically stronger, which isn't easy with his build. But the #1 thing limiting Lee's minutes is a lack of any offensive skills beyond dunking. It also hurts that he hits less than 40% from the free throw line. Until there is vast improvement on the offensive end of the floor, Lee is a role player on a very good team. Lee isn't even the best defensive player on his team.

 

[WildMoon]

good thing we recruited him for his offense.

I'm pretty sure we recruited him on potential and character. ( i know your comment is sarcastic, and theres more than offense in a game..)

Also he brings effort and energy and sometimes good rebounding. He hides some of his bad defensive mistake with his insane athleticism, which is nice plus. We'll see how much playing more minutes will help him.

 

[Bkocats]

but if the guys play volleyball.........Lee will kill 'em!

 

[kybassfan]

but if the guys play volleyball.........Lee will kill 'em!

Seems like I read somewhere that he did play volleyball. Quite good at it actually.

http://www.coachcal.com/23191/2013/08/marcus-lee-feature/

 

[brianpoe]

if the title seriously comes off as one with some undue pressure, i'll change it. i really do hate when trollers do that.

Dont necessarily agree with all of your points on this thread, I do however commend you for the debate and coming to the defense of Marcus.

He is a talented athlete, if he worked very hard hopefully the basketball acumen will finally start to show.

Best wishes to Marcus!

 

[Backdoorcut11]

you are extremely wrong. btw when did i say he was wcs or noel? are there ANY players like that in college next year?

YOU SAID DPOY

Wcs and Noel are DPOY type players.

Marcus lee is not. Simple.

Give it up. Let this thread die, so you can stop embarrassing yourself with this take.

 

[5iveStarRecruit]

there is team defense-recovery (closing out on shooters after kickouts) which everyone on the team is responsible for. then there's your one on one close out. if a guy does a step back can you close? well lee can.

why don't they shoot over him in those situations? answer: cause it'd probably be blocked. i can count just from memory 10+ jump shots he blocked last year.

Now you're just making things up.

I can't even remember ONE time he blocked a jumper last season.

This thread was a massive fail.

 

[UK90]

i didn't see him guard the ball. when would he guard the ball? he played back. off the ball, like at least a few feet because his reach.

Then you haven't been watching. As for when? Umm, when he's guarding the guy who has the ball. Hate to break it to ya, but EVERY player occasionally has to guard the ball, especially in a man to man defensive system like Cal's. And Lee's been embarrassed more than once when he's found himself in that situation, in fact I seem to recall seeing Cal yank him for exactly that.

 

[hotelblue]

Now you're just making things up.

I can't even remember ONE time he blocked a jumper last season.

This thread was a massive fail.

twice vs ku i believe. many more in the sec i remember clearly. and these are just popular replays, not every game he played. and off the top of my head to boot. and so i'm making it up because you can't remember? and i fail because you don't agree with me? ok and lol. and these are opinions. so just speak for yourself. i gave my explanations.

 

[ulismyman]

Lots of people on here get caught up in how many stars are by said recruits name...if they don't have 4 or 5 most fans assume they can' t play. Which puzzles me as to why Marcus gets so much doubt instead of benefit on here cuz i believe he was 5 star rated. I could be wrong because i don't by into the ratings business because i like to actuallt watch players perform then analyze. How many stars did Lee have...Thanks

 

[hotelblue]

Then you haven't been watching. As for when? Umm, when he's guarding the guy who has the ball. Hate to break it to ya, but EVERY player occasionally has to guard the ball, especially in an overwhelmingly man to man defensive system like Cal's. And Lee's been embarrassed more than once when he's found himself in that situation, in fact I seem to recall seeing Cal yank him for exactly that.

lee guards one on one from ten feet on out with a cushion between him and his defender. prove me wrong. you show me that instance and i'll prove a unique scenario. i certainly watch him and seem to realize his guarding stance a little better than yourself. no offense but hey you're claiming i don't watch him when that's exactly my thread. so your response insults my intelligence.

 

[hotelblue]

to the poster speaking of skal's presence inside. it's true. i think lee's strength is the versatility. he's most definitely not wcs or nerlens. but he's next year's thing. maybe i should titled it....is lee next's version (2.1 with errors - if you like) of wcs? lee can play off the ball and guard a 1-3 on the 3 point line. because lee's BEST attribute defensively besides his length and hustle is keeping his feet on the ground.

the poster who said his legs are skinny and won't rebound great inside, i agree. but i think he will hold his ground at the rim and get blocks by keeping his hands up and feet on the ground. he does this well imo.

i don't see the fouls as an issue if he won't get more than 20 minutes. but i thought he did a great job at not fouling. well routinely getting clean blocks called fouls. anyway he did foul too obviously.

i don't think he'll ever be near ten rebounds. but if you average 3 blocks 2 steals and can in situation guard 1-5 are you not one of the most versatile defenders in the country?

 

[UK90]

lee guards one on one from ten feet on out with a cushion between him and his defender. prove me wrong. you show me that instance and i'll prove a unique scenario. i certainly watch him and seem to realize his guarding stance a little better than yourself. no offense but hey you're claiming i don't watch him when that's exactly my thread. so your response insults my intelligence.

Well, to be blunt, a few of your responses on this thread suggest an intelligence worthy of a little insult. And, for cripes sake, NO, he does not always guard one on one "ten feet out", or if he did that'd be horrible defense. Criminy, guarding the ball does not just mean when he finds himself switched off on a point guard 25 feet from the hoop (in which case a 10 foot cushion would make sense), it also means when he finds himself on the guy with the ball far closer to the hoop, in which case a 10 foot cushion would generally be batshit stupid.

But, since you mentioned it, I'd point out that leaving too wide and soft of a cushion in those situations is a mistake Lee has made on too many occasions--resulting in the other guy getting far too easy interior shots or drives--and one that I recall seeing Cal yank him for in the past.

I think you might wanna give up on this thread. The more you try to defend your position the worse you're making yourself sound.

 

[hotelblue]

Well, to be blunt, a few of your responses on this thread suggest an intelligence that might be worthy of a little insult. And, for cripes sake, NO, he does not always guard one on one "ten feet out", or if he did that'd be horrible defense. Criminy, guarding the ball does not just mean when he finds himself switched off on a point guard 25 feet from the hoop (in which case a 10 foot cushion would make sense), it also means when he finds himself on the guy with the ball far closer to the hoop, in which case a 10 foot cushion would generally be batshit stupid.

But, since you mentioned it, I'd point out that leaving too wide of a cushion in those situations is a mistake Lee has made on too many occasions--resulting in the other guy getting far too easy interior shots or drives--and one Cal has yanked him for in the past.

I think you might wanna give up on this thread. The more you try to defend your position the worse you're making yourself sound.

you're obviously smart. but 10 ft cushion? lmao he's not a cornerback. he's just a lanky as he'll player who can shade the hell outbid the ball. give him three feet anywhere inside half court except the 10 square feet (roughly) around the goal. your response also misses a big point. lee was shading in midrange and perimeter last year because he was also playing back up 3 when we went big for a couple minutes. and he'd always get a steal playing sf. and a block usually. and usually in the mid range. so there's that.

 

[hotelblue]

Then you haven't been watching. As for when? Umm, when he's guarding the guy who has the ball. Hate to break it to ya, but EVERY player occasionally has to guard the ball, especially in a man to man defensive system like Cal's. And Lee's been embarrassed more than once when he's found himself in that situation, in fact I seem to recall seeing Cal yank him for exactly that.

let me add that these things actually did happen a few times. no question about it. then again i do expect some improvement with a year of experience and conditioning. and guarding the best back court in the country on switches during practice. and how that's going to improve his versatility.

fortunately/unfortunately he was underused last year. and yeah i can see a bit of a break out if he gets any real sustained minutes. maybe too high of an expectation. we can always find out again next year. that's the penalty for me being wrong on my speaking about possibilities for marcus this year. we can't lose sir. he's probably the most versatile defender coming off the bench in the country. and he usually high energy.

 

[ulismyman]

Hotel just stand strong brother...Lee can play and his attitude is tremendous. The kid had every reason to transfer the last two seasons but instead has chosen to wait his tirn and sacrifice 30 plus minutes at another school. Will he get his minutes this season?? Im very skeptical but both of us are correct in our premise that he can play. We are not a final four team 2 years ago without him against Michigan. That fact is not lost on a few fans others have short memories

 

[5iveStarRecruit]

twice vs ku i believe. many more in the sec i remember clearly. and these are just popular replays, not every game he played. and off the top of my head to boot. and so i'm making it up because you can't remember? and i fail because you don't agree with me? ok and lol. and these are opinions. so just speak for yourself. i gave my explanations.

Uh…no. You're making stuff up.

The blocks vs. KU all came in the paint. Brah, you okay right now? May be time to get yourself checked out.

Thinking a player who's been poor on D for two yrs to become a DPOY candidate is going full homer. Give it up.

 

[hotelblue]

Uh…no. You're making stuff up.

The blocks vs. KU all came in the paint. Brah, you okay right now? May be time to get yourself checked out.

Thinking a player who's been port on D for two yrs to become a DPOY candidate is full full homer. Give it up.

thanks for accusing me of being a uk homer. i'll obviously have to find the minutes in all the games for his 10+ on the year. i will tonight or tomorrow. count on it. but not wasting any more time with you now as you are basically the ignoring all the points being made. my overall points are undisputed by you. and stop saying poy. it clearly says "candidate" in the title. i'd give it up if you knew what "it" was and actually argued a point.

 

[hotelblue]

ok i did read you wrong there. but omg you actually don't believe he's capable of this at least? or that someone on a uk board could think so? i have to give it a rest? what have you said about marcus lee in this marcus lee thread on page two? that his blocks were not in the midrange in that game? well thanks.

 

[5iveStarRecruit]

ok i did read you wrong there. but omg you actually don't believe he's capable of this at least? or that someone on a uk board could think so? i have to give it a rest? what have you said about marcus lee in this marcus lee thread on page two? that his blocks were not in the midrange in that game? well thanks.

Lmaoo.

No, he's not capable of it. He hasn't given me a reason in 2 yrs to believe so. Yes, he has long arms & is bouncy, too bad he has poor understanding of the game, is a twig and just reacts always a second too late.

Can he become a good defender? Sure. Capable of becoming a DPOY candidate? Not a shot.

 

[ulismyman]

Hey 5 star...how much you wanna bet he has better stats than Willie had??? With the caveat he gets comparable minutes...you do realize Willie had 2 points and 5 boards against Wisc. I could have done that

 

[hotelblue]

Lmaoo.

No, he's not capable of it. He hasn't given me a reason in 2 yrs to believe so. Yes, he has long arms & is bouncy, too bad he has poor understanding of the game, is a twig and just reacts always a second too late.

Can he become a good defender? Sure. Capable of becoming a DPOY candidate? Not a shot.

wow i think i could argue everything you just said. i feel already did. but I'll reply on that in full later. i've been posting this thread for like 5 hours. thank very much for the genuine response full of actual talking points.

 

[.S&C.]

Lots of people on here get caught up in how many stars are by said recruits name...if they don't have 4 or 5 most fans assume they can' t play. Which puzzles me as to why Marcus gets so much doubt instead of benefit on here cuz i believe he was 5 star rated. I could be wrong because i don't by into the ratings business because i like to actuallt watch players perform then analyze. How many stars did Lee have...Thanks

IMO some of Cals best players have been 3 stars. No one wants to believe it, but 3 and 4 stars made up Cals first shot at a title, and would have won it had they been able to hit a few free throws.

Cal is getting back to that too. As you can see, he's signed several 4 stars of late. He wants some hanger arounds, finally.

 

[.S&C.]

I don't see it, but it's possible.

That just summed up the truth in this thread in one sentence.

 

[5iveStarRecruit]

Hey 5 star...how much you wanna bet he has better stats than Willie had??? With the caveat he gets comparable minutes...you do realize Willie had 2 points and 5 boards against Wisc. I could have done that

Lol its a forum, what bet can possibly be made.

Its irrelevant anyways. Lee isn't touching 25MPG, which was Willie's total.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Lee ends up playing starter minutes (between 20-25mpg) as sixth man, IMHO. That's if he can stay out of foul trouble.

But he won't be Defensive Player of the Year in the SEC or nationally.

He might be SEC Sixth Man of the Year because most SEC teams will have trouble putting five guys out there let alone have a quality sixth man.

 

[UK90]

Lots of people on here get caught up in how many stars are by said recruits name...if they don't have 4 or 5 most fans assume they can' t play. Which puzzles me as to why Marcus gets so much doubt instead of benefit on here cuz i believe he was 5 star rated.

And what puzzles me is why you're so puzzled as to why others have that doubt.

It's no mystery, and the answer has nothing to do with HS rankings, instead it's simply that many folks are disappointed in what he's shown and how little he's developed his first two years here. The guy has no real ball skills--can't shoot, pass or dribble worth a damn, in fact generally can't even make a free throw (a friggin 32 percent free throw shooter this year), and has a noticeable knack for getting lost, out of position and losing his man on defense--yet you're somehow puzzled why there are doubts about him?

He has shown a few occasional flashes of brilliance (especially the Michigan game his freshman year), and he can block shots and get some rebounds, but I think anyone viewing his first two years objectively and honestly, and not through blue blinder fanboy goggles, would have to admit that thus far his overall play and development has been disappointing.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Lee has been buried behind some really good talent, if I am not mistaken.

Why hasn't he played more?

The answer is:

Randle- lottery pick.
Towns- number one pick.
Cauley-Stein- lottery pick.
Lyles- lottery pick.
Johnson- draft pick.
Poythress- draft pick (before his injury).

I am not saying he is going to blossom into a 1st rounder, but let's wait and see what he does on a team where he should be able to earn minutes (based on the talent he is competing with) before we pass judgement.

 

[kybassfan]

Lee has been buried behind some really good talent, if I am not mistaken.

Why hasn't he played more?

The answer is:

Randle- lottery pick.
Towns- number one pick.
Cauley-Stein- lottery pick.
Lyles- lottery pick.
Johnson- draft pick.
Poythress- draft pick (before his injury).

I am not saying he is going to blossom into a 1st rounder, but let's wait and see what he does on a team where he should be able to earn minutes (based on the talent he is competing with) before we pass judgement.

And this tells the story.

 

[Backdoorcut11]

Quite enjoyed this train wreck of a thread.

Well done op. Astute basketball knowledge.

 

[ulismyman]

I would argue he should never have been behind Dakari in the first place...but i digress

 

[BlueRunner11]

If Lee's mpg and defensive IQ can somehow match he's athleticism and energy, than anything is possible. It's a lot to ask for when it comes to this season though...

 

[UK90]

I would argue he should never have been behind Dakari in the first place...but i digress

Yes, because you know more about them than Cal does....

 

[ulismyman]

You think Dakari better than Lee then you are just being combative....that's not even close. Cal plays who he plays it is his call, doesn't mean he is always right..he can make mistakes, it hsppens.

 

[ulismyman]

It is an open forum...it is my opinion that Lee is better than Dakari and Willie. It doesn't make me an idiot or a troll...it is my opinion that Lee is better...you don't have to agree...your right.

 

[UK90]

it is my opinion that Lee is better than Dakari and Lee.

Sorry but that's not a matter of opinion, instead it's a 100% certainty that Lee is not better than Lee, Lee is exactly the same as Lee.

As for Lee vs. Dakari, I think I'll trust Cal's opinion over yours, considering Cal is the guy we're paying millions to make those evaluations. If Cal thought Dakari was better than Lee after endless hours watching them compete against each other in daily practices for two years then I trust his judgment.

And, hey, at least with Dakari I didn't have to worry about him whiffing on 70 percent of his free throw attempts, the same unfortunately could not be said for Lee last year.

 

[ulismyman]

Lee will fix the free throw isdue just like Dakari and Willie did...they sucked too in previous season.

 

[ulismyman]

Love this thread, just don't happen to agree with the Lee skeptics...common sense should tell you that everyone improves with more Reps. Lee has never gotten those reps...hopefully that changes.

 

[Blue Decade]

Love this thread, just don't happen to agree with the Lee skeptics...common sense should tell you that everyone improves with more Reps. Lee has never gotten those reps...hopefully that changes.

I agree almost all healthy players improve year over year with experience and repetitions. The premise of this thread contemplates whether Lee is the best defensive player in the country. I don't even think Lee is the best defensive player on his own team, although I rate his defensive skills way ahead of his offensive skills. Improved or not, Lee won't get the minutes to win any awards as long as he is a foul prone 35% free throw shooter. To improve as a defensive player, Lee must overcome a very thin frame and develop the physical strength to hold his defensive position around the lane. That takes years to do. It is 1 thing to play well for 10 minutes while WCS rests. It is another thing to play 30 minutes and check the other team's best interior player. Until Lee develops the ability to score on contested shots that are not dunks or put backs, he will be a role player. That is reality, and it doesn't make me a skeptic. But I agree that Lee should show improvement this year, and I see certain elite strengths in his game when it comes to offensive rebounding and shot blocking.