What type of impact do you see Marcus Lee making next year? I expect he will play huge minutes next year, especially if we miss on Diallo and Maker. I think he could be a WCS type player on defense. He has shown flashes of a developing offensive game as well. I don't think we need our four man shooting 15 foot jump shots, but if he can knock down a few jump hooks per game, I could see Marcus in the 12 point, 8-9 rebound, 2 blocks per game range next year if he starts. I prefer Alex at the four, but I can't see Cal running a three guard line-up being that he is a defensive minded coach. Pair Marcus with Skal, who I think will be in the discussion for national player of the year, and I think we are in great shape.
Marcus Lee's ceiling next year
- Thread starter UKDUNK
- Start date
Absolutely has to get stronger.
WCS showed that you need at least some semblance of a back-to-the-basket game in this sport. If you aren't going to be able to stretch out, then you're going to have to provide some function in the offense. Lee will have to improve that facet.
I actually liked him a lot when he was in last season for the most part. Probably should've gotten some more time. A deceptively good passer, plays a little mean, plays hard. Just needs to be able to be a guy who can perform at the same level in a halfcourt game than he does when the game's more fluid.
WCS showed that you need at least some semblance of a back-to-the-basket game in this sport. If you aren't going to be able to stretch out, then you're going to have to provide some function in the offense. Lee will have to improve that facet.
I actually liked him a lot when he was in last season for the most part. Probably should've gotten some more time. A deceptively good passer, plays a little mean, plays hard. Just needs to be able to be a guy who can perform at the same level in a halfcourt game than he does when the game's more fluid.
Marcus needs to make big strides this off-season for me to have much confidence in him. First and foremost, he needs to add at least 15 lbs of lean muscle. Dude gets pushed off the block way too damn easy. And he definitely needs to add 2 to 3 offensive moves to his arsenal, and definitely improve his foul shooting. If he can do those things, I definitely see him being a big contributor. I hope he's hungry enough to put in the work to get his opportunity.
He needs to at least sure up his FTs and on the ball defending - those 2 things are musts...
hard to make a non shooting big man a better shooter, but it has happened. I was really impressed with Harrell for UL at the end of this last season and his jumper. If Lee could develop that it would be awesome, but probably asking for a miracle. I think his best bet is being an athletic garbage man who HAS to dunk home everything before he gets fouled on purpose and sent to the line.
hard to make a non shooting big man a better shooter, but it has happened. I was really impressed with Harrell for UL at the end of this last season and his jumper. If Lee could develop that it would be awesome, but probably asking for a miracle. I think his best bet is being an athletic garbage man who HAS to dunk home everything before he gets fouled on purpose and sent to the line.
His ceiling really depends on who (if anyone) we add. Say we add no one and so the front court is Lee, Poythress, Labissiere & Willis, then I might see us going with 3 guards a lot (if we add Mulder).
But I see Lee in the 18-25 min/gm range, averaging 5-8 pts and 5-8 reb and 1-2 blk.
He's simply not a 12 ppg guy, with no offensive moves, no range or shot, and he can't even cash in at the free throw line.
But I see Lee in the 18-25 min/gm range, averaging 5-8 pts and 5-8 reb and 1-2 blk.
He's simply not a 12 ppg guy, with no offensive moves, no range or shot, and he can't even cash in at the free throw line.
I agree Marcus needs to get stronger this summer. If he and Skal end up being our starters, the obvious strategy will be to try to be physical with them being that they are both fairly thin.
I think offensively, he is already on par with Willie. Neither will ever be a KAT type of weapon, but one or two go to moves is all that is needed on this level.
It seemed like Cal pulled Marcus a lot for being out of position on defense. I think that will improve with increased game time action.
It's tough to say. Obviously with what should be a much shorter rotation, he should see a lot more minutes which will lead to more production. But in a strange way, I think he thrived with the platoon system last year. He has limitations offensively, but when we were doing a true 5-in-5-out platoon, he was able to just focus on playing energetic defense, make quick passes, and throw down lobs. But once we went away from the platoons, he was sort of the odd man out.
I really like him, and I think with an offseason of hard work he can be a really nice player for us. I have a hard time ever seeing him average double digit points or even rebounds, but Willie showed us that you don't have to do that to have a huge impact on the game. He'll block shots and hustle, and do the little things. Hopefully he can add some offense and improve his FT %. I think he'll be a crucial part of our team either way.
I really like him, and I think with an offseason of hard work he can be a really nice player for us. I have a hard time ever seeing him average double digit points or even rebounds, but Willie showed us that you don't have to do that to have a huge impact on the game. He'll block shots and hustle, and do the little things. Hopefully he can add some offense and improve his FT %. I think he'll be a crucial part of our team either way.
Good point about the free throw shooting. I had forgotten about his struggles there. Still, I remember seeing improved footwork and a post move or two added to his game in limited action. I don't want Lee even thinking about shooting jumpers. I don't think we need that from him given that Skal seems to have range out to the three point line. Keep Lee around the basket for put backs, lobs and the occasional (two or three times per game tops) post up on shorter players.
I agree with those who said he needs to work hard this summer and get stronger. Hope that happens but not sure how much he can gain on his type of frame in one summer. Unless we add another big I see his minutes increasing greatly and I'm excited to see what he can do with more PT. We have seen spurts where he has looked good but hasn't had the chance with many minutes. With our guards I'm anxious to see Lee in the open court. He's no offensive monster but I could see him getting 8-10 page with our 2 guards running the floor and their passing ability. If we add Diallo or another big then Lee's minutes could go down. Overall, I'm excited to see Marcus of the court next season.
I kind of agree with you - however, it might be easier to hit an open 12 footer than to develop a true post up game...at least I think I'd have more faith in that. I hope he develops some sort of offensive game, because I really like his character and want him to succeed.
Lee is athletic but doesn't have good basketball skills and instincts. He is what he is an athletic player that came to basketball late and is behind kids that have been playing most of their lives. I just don't know what can be done about his brick laying shooting. All one has to do is watch him at the foul line to realize that he likely is never going to be a shooter. I might be wrong but I believe he shot less than 50% from the foul line. Can you say Hack a Lee and there is no way you can have him in for end game situations.
That was true of WCS for his first two years as well. He improved pretty drastically this past season.
So Naismith Player of the Year? Those numbers kill Anthony Davis' per minute production in 2011-2012.
Sounds realistic!
He actually has a lot of things he needs to work on the reach the potential. He's going to have to do more than just bring energy and get a few highlight plays every game. Has to get strong, has to get better at the foul line, has to improve defensively, has to learn what a defensive rebound is.
He'll be a backup, but should see more minutes than he has so far. Diallo and Skal will be the starters. Lee's just going to get his points on offensive rebounds, in transition, and oops on penetration. He has no post game.
Until Marcus develops some sort of consistent offensive presence, he cant be counted on to contribute on that end. As we saw with Willie, he became better with his post game, but that facet was still not something that was more than average. Because of that, he went long stretches where he completely disappeared. That was with Willie being a stronger and more coordinated individual. Lee is like a new born colt sometimes.
Lee doesn't seem like a jock to me. For one thing, he's funny. Funny demands perspective and jocks tend to be single-minded. (The ones I knew. YMMV.) I imagine hoops just aren't the be-all and end-all of life for him.
In order for Marcus to make an impact next season, he will need to some things -
1. Get Stronger. He absolutely HAS TO put on some muscle this off season. He's painfully skinny and if he can add 10-15lbs over the summer, it's going to make a world of difference in his game.
2. Work on his post moves. He is going to have to develop a few back to the basket kind of moves to expand on his game a bit.
3. LEARN TO SHOOT FREE-THROWS!!! He's been a liability from the line and if he can't work on his free-throw shooting and isn't able to be counted on to shoot 65%+ from the free-throw line, he's not going to find himself in many games, especially not in the last 3 or 4 minutes.
4. Learn to play lock-down defense without fouling.
If he can do these things (the hardest of which is really putting on weight, so all of this is attainable in a single off-season) he'll be a VERY valuable asset to the team. My guess is that he knows these things and is going to work on all of this and if he does, he will be our 6th or 7th guy (depending on what Diallo does). Otherwise, he'll play a role similar to this season.
1. Get Stronger. He absolutely HAS TO put on some muscle this off season. He's painfully skinny and if he can add 10-15lbs over the summer, it's going to make a world of difference in his game.
2. Work on his post moves. He is going to have to develop a few back to the basket kind of moves to expand on his game a bit.
3. LEARN TO SHOOT FREE-THROWS!!! He's been a liability from the line and if he can't work on his free-throw shooting and isn't able to be counted on to shoot 65%+ from the free-throw line, he's not going to find himself in many games, especially not in the last 3 or 4 minutes.
4. Learn to play lock-down defense without fouling.
If he can do these things (the hardest of which is really putting on weight, so all of this is attainable in a single off-season) he'll be a VERY valuable asset to the team. My guess is that he knows these things and is going to work on all of this and if he does, he will be our 6th or 7th guy (depending on what Diallo does). Otherwise, he'll play a role similar to this season.
I think one of Lee's problems last yr was that he didn't play enough to be comfortable on the court.
He looked like he was thinking "what do I do" most of the time, instead of just playing.
Increase his playing time and some things will take care of themselves. He does need a few offensive moves, and better
free throw precentage. However if he ever gets comfortable, and begins to have some success, his confidence will
grow and so will everything else. He needs confidence more than anything, and must be comfortable to gain some of that.
He did play very well in the tournament last season....very close to WCS on offensive that is, plus he blocked a few shots as well.
Once he gets him some confidence in himself, he will be a very nice player for UK.
He looked like he was thinking "what do I do" most of the time, instead of just playing.
Increase his playing time and some things will take care of themselves. He does need a few offensive moves, and better
free throw precentage. However if he ever gets comfortable, and begins to have some success, his confidence will
grow and so will everything else. He needs confidence more than anything, and must be comfortable to gain some of that.
He did play very well in the tournament last season....very close to WCS on offensive that is, plus he blocked a few shots as well.
Once he gets him some confidence in himself, he will be a very nice player for UK.
Dennis Rodman is in the Hall of Fame with no post presence. That is what Marcus should focus on. Get stronger and be a garbage man. Rebound, rebound for putbacks, dunk, and play great D. Also, change # to 91 and dye his Mohawk.
Everyone is talking about what Lee needs to do to improve his game, not really what his ceiling is for next year.
I think his ceiling is about what we have already seen. At his best he is an energy guy that can grab rebounds, block shots, and throw down lobs. If we can get him to just focus on these 3 areas every game he will be a valuable contributor. We don't need Lee taking jump shots (we don't want Lee taking jump shots). We need Lee to be a Chris Birdman Anderson type role player for the team.
I think his ceiling is about what we have already seen. At his best he is an energy guy that can grab rebounds, block shots, and throw down lobs. If we can get him to just focus on these 3 areas every game he will be a valuable contributor. We don't need Lee taking jump shots (we don't want Lee taking jump shots). We need Lee to be a Chris Birdman Anderson type role player for the team.
Since we are in the offseason, improvements can be made... If Lee packed on some pounds or hit the free throw line and got up to 60-65%, he would be drastically improved...meaning he hadn't hit his ceiling as you say.
Since it is a prediction type thread in the offseason, its reasonable for people to expect some improvement in areas, therefore raising his ceiling.
Okay, but with someone like Lee he needs to improve what he already does well. We have a true superstar coming in next year in Skal. Our low post scoring will be dominated by Skal, with contributions from Poythress. Lee doesn't need to do any scoring to be an effective player. He needs to rebound, block shots, and otherwise create havoc on defense. Packing on weight will certainly help with that.
If Lee makes the improvements that I see from many in this thread, he will the number one pick in the draft. I think Lee's ceiling is a Jordan Mickey type player. Very effective player who rebounds, gets garbage buckets and blocks shots, but is limited offensively. Mickey shot around 60% from the line, but still scored around 15 a game. I think that's more of what Marcus is capable of being. He will never be Karl Towns from an offensive perspective and will probably never have Willie's build, but he can still be a valuable contributor.
Mickey hit 40% of his 2pt jump shots...same range as Lyles as far as %...Marcus Lee sat at about 16% on those last year. If Lee can get to Mickeys level on offense, we will be in business!
Check out the hoop math website for interesting stats like that.
Good point. I don't remember seeing Mickey shoot many jumpers in the few games I watched, but this might explain his elevated draft stock. I'm not expecting Marcus to make huge strides on his jumpshot, but I also don't want to say he can't improve somewhat. I don't like saying a sophomore who has played only spot minutes his first two years has already capped out his potential.
There is no way Marcus averages 12 &8 next year in this offense. He cannot create and if Cal doesn't change it, we will be lucky to score 60 points per game. In the SEC there were many games where it took us forever to get a shot off,because our guys had trouble beating the quicker players, one on one. Go back and look at the box scores from this season. Weren't many games where we took a lot of shots...Many games in the 40's and 50's...That just won't get it with our talent level.
kind of like WCS...still very raw and may not really peak until a couple years into the league...
but very excited for what he could do next year...he brings energy, effort, and a great enthusiasm for playing ball...will be able to block shots and get dunks and easy put backs...a true open court and up tempo athlete...Ulis leading the break with he and skal flying in from either side will be fun...
could really help himself if he developed a post move or two...
really needs to live in the gym this summer and get thousands of shots up a day...if he could develop some sort of little jumper and mid range game, he could be a lottery pick...and we'll need some mid range offense next season...
but very excited for what he could do next year...he brings energy, effort, and a great enthusiasm for playing ball...will be able to block shots and get dunks and easy put backs...a true open court and up tempo athlete...Ulis leading the break with he and skal flying in from either side will be fun...
could really help himself if he developed a post move or two...
really needs to live in the gym this summer and get thousands of shots up a day...if he could develop some sort of little jumper and mid range game, he could be a lottery pick...and we'll need some mid range offense next season...
Our talent level? You realize we have the top ranked freshman center (top player overall), the top ranked freshman point guard and a preseason all-american candidate in Ulis on the roster already, right? Some of our fans are crazy spoiled. If we don't have 15 McDonald's All-Americans on the roster we're headed to the NIT.
Is good as he wants to be...I think he can put up some nice numbers when he gets the opportunity.
UKDUNK, you misunderstood..i am saying we have great talent and we ought to be getting way more shots per game than what we have been doing.
I would love to see Cal go with a motion offense that incorporates diagonal screening in the post to get post players free in the paint as well as shooters open on the wings. Our offense has been limited to beat your man and lobs or throw it into the post and hope for the best.
So Naismith Player of the Year? Those numbers kill Anthony Davis' per minute production in 2011-2012.
Sounds realistic!
Actually if you do the math on his points and rebounds per minute, it's not that unrealistic that he could do it. Problem is he only got 2-3 minutes a game, if that toward the end of the season
