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What Does Kendall Marshall Bring To The Sixers?

Josh Wilson
Josh Wilson

The Sixer Sense

Jan 9, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Kendall Marshall (5) dribbles the ball during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

All offseason, the biggest roster question for the Philadelphia 76ers has been the starting point guard position. It’s incredibly unclear, still, who will claim the position once the season starts.

It got even more complicated late last week, after rumors came up that Kendall Marshall had been spending some time with the Sixers, working out. All signs pointed to him being signed and present at training camp, and on Friday, it was made a reality.

According to Yahoo! Sports, Marshall’s multiyear deal is guaranteed for the next season. Since they’re paying him no matter what, it wouldn’t make sense to send him down to the D-League, so I’m expecting him to make the final 15 man roster.

Marshall is a former first round pick, but has had his career slowed for numerous reasons. He got off to a slow start, and was sent down to the D-League. In the 2013-14 season, he appeared to be on his way to a great career, but couldn’t keep that momentum going last season, since he tore his ACL.

Rehabilitation on that ACL has been a big part of this offseason for Marshall, and it looks like he’s ready to play.

Marshall is a late addition to the huge amount of point guards lobbying for a starting position. We’ve done a lot of analysis all offseason on the guys who were on the team, but we haven’t looked at how Marshall impacts the team.

Next: Off Court Qualities

Feb 19, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kendall Marshall (12) reacts against the Houston Rockets at Staples Center. The Rockets defeated the Lakers 134-108. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Off the court qualities

Marshall comes to the Sixers with a bunch of qualities that don’t have much to do with his on court skills, but still contribute to how well he fits in with this group.

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He has a history with this team, as he has played for the Delaware 87ers previously in the D-League. Marshall was a star in his time with the 87ers, and scored 31 points in his first game with them.

He fits the classic description of most current Sixers players. A young, talented NBA player that has had his career slowed for one reason or another, but has come to the Sixers in hopes of jump starting his career and making it something to be proud of.

Like many of the current roster, Marshall has less than five years of experience under his belt. He will mesh well as far as youth goes on the team.

Additionally, many of the players on the team have had their career slowed down unfortunate circumstances, and this is no different for Marshall, who had his season cut short last year by an ACL injury.

Marshall has lots of basketball knowledge. Nowadays, in the NBA, it’s tough to find draft picks in the top 15 that spent more than a year playing college ball. Marshall goes against the grain here, and went to school for two years before he declared for the draft.

Next: On Court Skills

Jan 9, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Kendall Marshall (5) reacts after making a basket during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

On the court

Unfortunately for Marshall, he has yet to be given a whole lot of opportunity. He was playing very well for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2013-14, but — as mentioned earlier — was unable to really keep that going with the Bucks last season due to an injury.

Playing time has also been a reason that Marshall hasn’t played all that well yet, as he hasn’t broken 15 minutes per game in more than one season of his career, making it tough to get his statistics up.

Despite this, looking at his stats per 36 minutes, he has improved his scoring every season, and we should be expecting him to do the same this season. As I said, I’m expecting him to make the final roster, and I’m also expecting him to get comparable minutes to his season with the Lakers, when he played 29 per game.

Marshall brings accurate shooting to the Sixers, something they definitely need to bolster their offense. Marshall shot above 50% from the two-point zone last season, and 39% from three.

Additionally, he has the potential to give the Sixers a lot of points, as even last year with less than 15 minutes per game he attempted four three pointers per game.

He’s not the most balanced shooter as far as shot selection goes. In 2014, most of his shots were at the rim, or three pointers. From 3 feet all the way to the three point zone, he doesn’t take many shots. His reluctancy to shoot mid-range will hopefully be changed this season, so he can make himself a better offensive threat.

One thing you’ll notice on his fast break plays is he can get from one end of the court to the next very quickly. He’s no John Wall, but he appears to be pretty quick.

Marshall is an eyes up player that refuses to assume a play is over. When you think he might be taking a shot, he’s often still looking at options to pass. Marshall always appears to be analyzing his options, and taking what’s best for the team. He’s a proven leader, in this way.

Another positive thing we can look at is how well he worked with Pau Gasol. Gasol could be considered a traditional big man, just like Jahlil Okafor, so we can get excited to see Marshall feeding Okafor the ball in the paint.

Next: Chance At Being The Starter?

Dec 5, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Miami Heat guard Shabazz Napier (13) guards Milwaukee Bucks guard Kendall Marshall (5) in the fourth quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Can he be the starter?

As I mentioned earlier, I’m fully expecting Marshall to make the final roster. With a guaranteed contract for the season, there’s little reason to cut him. The Sixers have been watching him work out before they signed him, so they know he has talent. Getting the start at point guard, I’m not sure about, though.

There’s a lot of point guards that the Sixers have coming to training camp. The competition for the starting job is going to be intense. We haven’t seen Marshall play a full healthy year since 2014, so it’s tough to say if he’s at a level ready to start right now.

It’s also tough to say what his role will be without knowing what the Sixers intentions were in signing him. Do they want him to be a starter? Did they just bring him in to beef up their bench? We don’t know just yet what the plan is with Marshall.

Tony Wroten is one who had the starting job locked up, in the opinion of many, but when compared to Marshall, he doesn’t look too great.

Despite Marshall not being a very balanced shooter, Wroten is even less balanced. Additionally, Wroten shoots just 26% from the three point line.

I think it’s safe to say Marshall will fit well with the Sixers, and safe to say that he’s probably going to be on the final roster. As far as being the starting point guard is concerned, I’m not too sure about his chances with that just yet.

Next: Tony Wroten Bound To Be Key Factor For Sixers

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Josh Wilson

Josh Wilson

Josh is currently the Managing Editor of FanSided.com. He has worked with FanSided in some capacity for a total of eight years, starting as a contributor for Swarm and Sting, Toro Times, and HoopsHabit in 2015. He served as a site expert for The Sixer Sense during 'The Process' years while starting his educational track at Temple University as a journalism student. He later transferred to the State University of New York at Cortland where he completed his B.A. in Mass Communication with a concentration in journalism. For FanSided, Josh worked as Operations Assistant before taking on a role as Editorial Director of the NBA Division, a role he held for three years. Along the way he also helped start and lead the FanSided fellowship program which created a path for several young journalists to start their careers in sports media. Nothing is more important to Josh than Yankee wins and his family.