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All Kendall Marshall needed was a chance. One chance to prove that he didn’t deserve the “bust” title that is now associated with his name.
Marshall was drafted by the Phoenix Suns with the 13th pick in the 2012 NBA draft. After a standout college career with the UNC Tar Heels, where he set their all-time assist record (351), expectations were high for the 6’4″ point guard out of Virginia.
However, dismal shooting and sporadic playing for the Suns resulted in Marshall being traded to the Washington Wizards at the beginning of the 2013 NBA season in the Marcin Gortat trade, where he was promptly sent to the D-League. Despite his below-average athleticism, Marshall is known for his incredible vision on the court and wily basketball IQ. He wasn’t given the opportunity to properly showcase his talents, only averaging 14 minutes per game for the Suns. Phoenix preferred to have the proven Goran Dragic running their offense and the much more athletic Shannon Brown complementing him on the wing. Marshall wasn’t given a chance and desperately craved an opportunity to carve a name for himself in one of the world’s most ruthless professional leagues.
In late December 2013, Marshall was given that chance. The Lakers back court was an absolute mess. Steve Nash could barely walk with his back issues, Steve Blake received elbow surgery for a torn ligament, Jordan Farmar re-aggravated a torn hamstring, and Xavier Henry sprained his knee 10 days after Marshall was given a contract. There was no one but Marshall to run the offense.
12 starts later, Kendall Marshall is second in the league in three-point shooting percentage (47.9%) and second in the league in assists per game at 9.3. If you just averaged his starts, he would lead the league with 11.9. Yes, this is a small sample size. By no means should 16 games truly define how good or not good Kendall Marshall is. But consider this. In his 16 games with the Los Angeles Lakers, Marshall has 158 assists and 49 turnovers. That’s a 3.22 assist to turnover ratio, good for sixth in the league. Not only is Marshall running the offense on a team that ranks 26th in turnovers per game, but he’s doing it efficiently. Remarkably efficient.
Marshall has been one of the bright spots in an otherwise forgettable season for the Lakers. Unaccustomed to having such a poor roster, the Lakers will miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade. They are 16-29, three spots out of the last spot in the Western Conference, with room to slide. They have one of the league’s worst defenses and have been crippled by injuries since day one.
The sad reality is that once any of the Lakers’ guards becomes healthy again, Marshall’s minutes will be severely cut. He is more of a minus than a plus on the defensive end and his below-average athleticism will always work against him in a league defined by it. My only hope is that Marshall continues to play at the high level he has. I have thoroughly watched him run the offense and his passes and court vision are truly a thing of beauty. He deserves to be back in Purple and Gold next year. He took a chance and made the most of it and now it’s time for the Lakers front office to reward that play and take a chance of their own.
