Stephon Marbury

Overview: A super quick point guard that appears to be on the downside of his career, and is considered a huge distraction off the court. Has good size and leaping ability as well. Possesses everything you look for athletically. Used to be an elite scorer. Was a capable shooter, but his best asset lied in the fact that he could get to the rim at will. Set up teammates at a high rate as well. Doesn’t score or distribute as well as he used to. Very poor defensively. Was essentially the same player in college. Dominated on the offensive end during his one season at Georgia Tech. Had a tremendous rookie season, proving to be an elite assist-man and a great scorer as well. Strung together an impressive run of good seasons. Two time All-Star. Has had his fair share of issues with coaches. Plays with a lot of emotion, and obviously thinks very highly of himself on and off the court. Big ego is one of the main reasons his legacy has been tarnished. Cannot seem to get along with any of his teammates. Has a very outspoken personality that rubs some people the wrong way. Has never won at any level he’s played at. Cousin of fellow NBA point guard Sebastian Telfair.

Offense: An aggressive offensive player than isn’t as prolific or efficient as he used to be. Gets a the vast majority of his offense as a primary ball handler pushing the break and running the pick and roll, but is also prone to breaking down his man one-on-one and spotting up from the outside. Very dominant ball-handler--tends to pound the ball as a point guard, making his offense lack significant flow. Everything needs to revolve around him, as he cannot play off the ball. Some players may find it difficult to play with him, as he only wants to make the definitive pass for an assist. Has a very sudden jump shot with good elevation and tremendous follow through. Takes quite a few threes and hits them at a below-average clip. Not a bad catch and shoot player, but struggles off the dribble. Tends to settle for bad shots early in the offense, overestimating his ability at times. Gets a ton of looks at the rim for a point guard. Likes to go to the rim rather than pull up. One of the best ball handlers in the game, has all kinds of crafty moves that help him use his explosiveness to get to the rim. Turns the corner with regularity. Quickness and handle make him a great one-on-one player. Very good at pushing the ball in transition. Proves more than capable of scoring in pick and roll situations. Makes great decisions when he gets hedged on the pick and roll. Makes some bad passes and overpenetrates at times, but can hit floaters, finger rolls, and runners with no trouble. Not a bad finisher, but tends to be selfish when he attacks the rim. Used to pick his spots better when penetrating. Goes to the line at a very high rate due to the way he forces the ball into the lane. Shoots a decent percentage from the foul line. Effective as a playmaker, but used to be much more generous. Has never been an efficient offensive player, but used to do more of his damage in the flow of the offense.

Defense: Doesn’t show any commitment to the defensive end for the most part. Will make an effort in small spurts, and can be extremely effective he does, but is not consistent with his energy level and isn’t able to be a factor in most scenarios. Has tremendous lateral quickness, allowing him to defend almost any point guard he’s matched up with. Tips his hand with his defensive stance, gets low when he’s motivated and stays high when he’s not into it. Does a good job keeping the ball out of the lane for the most part, but shows poor awareness off the ball. Loses his focus easily and tends to gamble. Closes out under control, but isn’t going to contest many shots. Will get caught up in screens and doesn’t do a great job fighting through when he needs to. Shows great ability as a defender for one quarter, but seems completely uninterested during the next.