Oklahoma State did not play well at all against Oregon, but I thought it was important to at least mention their 2 NBA prospects Marcus Smart and Markel Brown.
I guess I don’t see the infatuation with Marcus Smart and him being a top 3 pick in this draft. Again, I did not do a great job of scouting players all year long and as a result may only have a few games, or 1 in this case to pass judgement. So with that, what I deem are his strengths, weaknesses and an overview of his NBA potential and how or if he would fit on the Cavs.
Strengths: Solid ball handling but not an ankle breaker, very good passer but not flashy, great ability to dictate the pace of the game, exceptional size for a PG, physical player, very good defender, excellent rebounder for a guard
Weaknesses: Below average shooter either off the dribble or in catch and shoot situations, not an elite athlete by any means (this includes not being super fast or quick nor a great leaper)
Bottom Line: There is of course no obvious fit for Marcus Smart on the Cavs, at least not right now. You can see by his strengths and weaknesses that he is a solid all around player without any glaring weaknesses and as a result is a safe pick for any team in need of a PG. With his great rebounding and ever developing passing ability (only played true PG spot this year) he has the opportunity to be one of the few players that can put up triple doubles as a PG. As a result, the Jason Kidd comparisons are obvious, but to my knowledge there has only been one Jason Kidd. The only reason this is even a thought is that NBA teams continue to operate an offense with two PGs on the floor at the same time. His size combined with his experience playing the SG position until college make this possible.
NBA Comparison: Jason Kidd/Rajon Rondo hybrid – odds are he will never develop the shooting ability Jason Kidd did but with a similar build and ability to dictate the pace of the game it is a good comparison. Smart will be closer to Rondo than Kidd in terms of driving ability and shooting.
Markel Brown
Real quick on Markel Brown. He obviously has the ability to knock down shots and be a spark of the bench in the NBA. I suppose if he was there for the Cavs 2nd pick in the 2nd round I would consider it. Brown doesn’t lack confidence at all and is fearless from the perimeter. He also has explosive leaping ability which combined with a large wingspan to go along with his 6’3″ size allows him to dunk on larger players. For your enjoyment: Markel Brown dunk. I consider him in the Jordan Crawford mold as a player.
I would stay away from both of these players in general for the Cavs. There are better options out there.