Markus' NBA success

[CountryRoads]

Markus buries 2 threes last night. His per 40 minute averages are pretty good.

P/40   R/40   A/40   TS%   AST   TO   USG   REBR   PER   WINPERCENT   WARP
30.8   0.0   9.2   45.5   21.4   -1.0   37.9   0.0   14.88   -   -
Data provided by Elias Sports Bureau

Got his career high last night against former DePaul great Max Strus who logged 17 minutes for the heat.

[Knight Commission]

Congrats to Markus

[Billy Hoyle]

3-21 from three on the season, 6-30 overall. He got 10 minutes against Boston but went 0-4 from the field.

[JWags85]

3-21 from three on the season, 6-30 overall. He got 10 minutes against Boston but went 0-4 from the field.

Markus is gonna need some time to adapt. Coming in cold for a volume shooter, especially one who has been ball dominant most of his life, it's a tough adjustment.  He's been getting more time as the season progresses, so I think he's probably showing a bit in practice and such.

[1SE]

Small sample, but his numbers are brutal. Have to think it would make sense to send him down to G, see if he can get it going there, and then bring him back up. 

[1SE]

Seems at least half of us are gonna be wrong.

[tower912]

I knew he was a generational talent as a shooter/scorer.  I appreciated every game that he played at MU.  We likely won't see another scorer like him in our lifetimes.


I didn't think he could defend well enough at his size to be a consistent rotation player in the NBA.   Oops.

[Uncle Rico]

I knew he was a generational talent as a shooter/scorer.  I appreciated every game that he played at MU.  We likely won't see another scorer like him in our lifetimes.


I didn't think he could defend well enough at his size to be a consistent rotation player in the NBA.   Oops.

In think that was a generally acceptable view.  I had questions about his handle at the next level as well.  To his credit, he's worked hard to get better at these aspects of the game and find a role with the Nuggets.  He got an opportunity and took advantage of it.  Another in a long line of mubb alum to do so.  Don't think anyone ever questioned his desire or work ethic and it's paid off in bushels

[MU82]

Played 20 minutes in a playoff game for a very good (but banged-up) NBA team.

7 points on 3-for-5, including 1-3 from 3. In the first half, he made a nice driving layup and helped space the court as Jokic destroyed the Blazers inside. In the second half, Portland went crazy from 3 and the entire Denver team struggled to both hit a shot and to contest Portland's shooters.

Markus ended up at -4 -- obviously that doesn't deserve a banner, but it was the second best on the team.

Congrats to Markus for making himself a valued contributor on a team that went to the conference finals last season.

"Markus Howard has really lit up that Nugget bench. Michael Malone calls him a 'bucket-getter.'" -- ESPN announcer Jason Benetti

[Herman Cain]

It is fantastic that Markus is getting the minutes in a high profile game and demonstrating what he can do.

Representing MU well.

[MU82]

Representing MU well.

As he did for 4 years while a student, athlete and leader.

[fjm]

I said never a minute.

Loved the dude at MU. Loved his attitude!

Really surprised by this, way stoked for him! Keep proving me wrong 00

[Billy Hoyle]

It is fantastic that Markus is getting the minutes in a high profile game and demonstrating what he can do.

Representing MU well.

By being completely lost on D?  On one possession where Portland hit a three Markus was in the lane a good 10 feet from any offensive player, and sure enough, Portland scored. Painful.

[BM1090]

By being completely lost on D?  On one possession where Portland hit a three Markus was in the lane a good 10 feet from any offensive player, and sure enough, Portland scored. Painful.

He's not a great defender but for the most part he held his own last night. He was scrambling to recover a lot due to MPJ's missed rotations.

[MU82]

By being completely lost on D?  On one possession where Portland hit a three Markus was in the lane a good 10 feet from any offensive player, and sure enough, Portland scored. Painful.

I think I know the possession you're talking about. I believe he was where he was coached to be. Seriously. He had rotated away from his man to "cover the tape" -- the area under the hoop -- because his man was more than two passes away from the offensive player who had the ball.

I am not claiming Markus is a great (or even an average) defender. I am saying that I believe on that possession he merely was doing what he was told to do.

Unless we're talking about different possessions.

But even if he totally effed up there, he is STILL representing Marquette well. He is playing serious minutes in the NBA playoffs, and we can assume he is doing so with class, dignity and hard work.

[Loose Cannon]

Happy to be one of the "40".

[JWags85]

By being completely lost on D?  On one possession where Portland hit a three Markus was in the lane a good 10 feet from any offensive player, and sure enough, Portland scored. Painful.

I generally agree with your basketball viewpoints, but if your takeaway from the last 2 weeks of "welcome to the NBA" moments is to focus on a singular defensive lapse, that's just absurdly cynical and much more emblematic of some of the doom and gloom posters here.  He's not Bruce Bowen and never will be, but he's proven himself to his team and Mike Malone and is getting very real minutes and playing well when doing so.  Of all the Markus takes I've seen on the internet and social media over the last couple games, this is literally the first "this guy sucks at defense" one I've seen.  And not remarking at his scoring ability, team support, or potential to be a piece of the Nuggets roster moving forward

UPDATE: going off singular possessions, Markus got switched onto Lillard for an end of quarter possession, iso, where Lillard excels. Markus kept in front of him, forced him into a step back 3 with a hand in his face that clanged

[1SE]

Real minutes last night in the W, going 2-2 from the field with a 3, a dime, and 33% of the Nuggets' blocks on the night!

[MU82]

Real minutes last night in the W, going 2-2 from the field with a 3, a dime, and 33% of the Nuggets' blocks on the night!

The assist was a real beauty, too. Broke down the D and dished to cutting big for easy deuce.

[4everwarriors]

Ya shoulda done play by play. Coulda been another Marv Albert. I see ya got da basketball lingo down solid, hey?

[MU82]

Ya shoulda done play by play. Coulda been another Marv Albert. I see ya got da basketball lingo down solid, hey?

Yesss!

[Coleman]

easy deuce.

Musta had Real Chili before the game, hey?

[Jay Bee]

As a wise man once said when a 17 year old Markus committed to Marquette... #M2N

I'm proud of him and it brings tears to my eyes watching him play

[MarquetteDano]

As a wise man once said when a 17 year old Markus committed to Marquette... #M2N

I'm proud of him and it brings tears to my eyes watching him play

So nice to see him play given his size.  Amazing how he holds his own playing against gargantuans!

[Herman Cain]

Rooting for Denver to win tonight. The more the Nuggets win with Markus playing some rotation minutes, the better Markus'chance to get his contract renewed for next season.