MU Alumni playing in European and Foreign Leagues Thread

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Well if he can finish at the rim, and we all agree he's a lights out shooter, this NBA thing should be easy. 

Well no, defense is still a thing

The easy out for me on this argument...the NBA is pretty good at finding and developing talent.  He didn't stick for a reason...if Denver wasn't a great fit...we really believe no other teams realized this and scooped him up?

IMHO Markus' ceiling is an NBA bench player...and he's not there yet. I don't think NBA teams are in the business of taking young projects whose ceilings are that low. I think NBA teams are happy to sign a guy who is already good enough to play 15-20 minutes off the bench even if he'll never be more than that. They are less likely to sign a guy who may be good enough to play 15-20 minutes off the bench after some development. It's better business to give those spots to young guys with more upside.

[MU82]

Lot easier to overcome that when you're in Markus' position making a nice 6 figures, living/playing in a mid sized Western European city in an NBA sized arena, etc...  Same for someone like Fischer.  I think the scenarios you mention happen with guys in the second and third tier leagues who are playing in more off the beaten path areas for much lower salaries and amenities.  Big difference between playing in a French/Spanish/Greek city in front of 10K fans than playing in Lithuania/Georgia/Macedonia for a team in a town of 30K people on a court with volleyball/handball lines on it for $4-5K a month.

Good points, Wags.

[tower912]

5'11 is 5'11.   I loved Markus, but I never thought he could make it in the NBA at 5'11.   He made it, he just couldn't stick.   If he was 6'3, second coming of Steph Curry.

[warriorchick]

Please, no

I agree.  I like a little creativity with court design, but some teams have gone a little too far.  TCU's, for example.  They ought to broadcast a seizure warning before they show it on TV

[warriorchick]

5'11 is 5'11.   I loved Markus, but I never thought he could make it in the NBA at 5'11.   He made it, he just couldn't stick.   If he was 6'3, second coming of Steph Curry.

And he isn't really 5'11" either.

[The Sultan]

I feel like there is a team in Milwaukee that can use him as an off the bench spark this season.
A team that's been putrid beyond the arc and loves to shoot a ton of 3s.

Markus Howard's career NBA 3FG%: 34.1

Current Bucks with a better 3FG% this year:  Green, Lopez, Allen, Carter, Nwora, Holiday. 

And there are 10 players with a higher EFG than his career average.

This describes many NBA teams.  There is one an hour and a half south of Milwaukee who could use him as well.  NBA GMs are overthinking this or overlooking this. 

C'mon...  Look I know we love our Warriors, but if the take is "the NBA GMs don't know what they are doing," that's a pretty wild statement.

As I said, he will get another shot. But you can't overlook his size.

[MUfan12]

I feel like there is a team in Milwaukee that can use him as an off the bench spark this season.
A team that's been putrid beyond the arc and loves to shoot a ton of 3s.

If Bud won't play Nwora there's no way he'd play Howard.

[tower912]

And he isn't really 5'11" either.

I know.  You would think Muggsy would be more of a fan.

[JWags85]

Markus Howard's career NBA 3FG%: 34.1

Current Bucks with a better 3FG% this year:  Green, Lopez, Allen, Carter, Nwora, Holiday. 

And there are 10 players with a higher EFG than his career average.

So its interesting, and also kind of a Catch-22.

First off, he was exponentially better in the last month of the 20-21 season and into the playoffs.  And in 21-22, he shot 40% from 3, on more attempts.

But here's the Catch-22.  In games where he shot 3 or more 3PA, Markus has shot 43% in the NBA.  In 21-22, that went up to 46.2% from 3 in those games.

So he's an elite sharpshooter in the NBA when he can get run and rhythm, but off the bench shooters, especially late off the bench shooters, can't be regularly be expecting 3+ looks a game.  Unless there are injuries, like late in 20-21 where he exploded a few times.  So you have to deliver in 1-2 looks a game which he struggled with (comparatively).  His best bet is to get picked up mid/late season by a team with injuries where he can get 20 min a game and shoot the lights out and properly audition for the next season.

[DoctorV]

So its interesting, and also kind of a Catch-22.

First off, he was exponentially better in the last month of the 20-21 season and into the playoffs.  And in 21-22, he shot 40% from 3, on more attempts.

But here's the Catch-22.  In games where he shot 3 or more 3PA, Markus has shot 43% in the NBA.  In 21-22, that went up to 46.2% from 3 in those games.

So he's an elite sharpshooter in the NBA when he can get run and rhythm, but off the bench shooters, especially late off the bench shooters, can't be regularly be expecting 3+ looks a game.  Unless there are injuries, like late in 20-21 where he exploded a few times.  So you have to deliver in 1-2 looks a game which he struggled with (comparatively).  His best bet is to get picked up mid/late season by a team with injuries where he can get 20 min a game and shoot the lights out and properly audition for the next season.

Nice data.

Maybe they can keep him on a side court with a trainer chucking up 3s until he's ready to come in in the last minute so he's hot fire

[Shooter McGavin]

So its interesting, and also kind of a Catch-22.

First off, he was exponentially better in the last month of the 20-21 season and into the playoffs.  And in 21-22, he shot 40% from 3, on more attempts.

But here's the Catch-22.  In games where he shot 3 or more 3PA, Markus has shot 43% in the NBA.  In 21-22, that went up to 46.2% from 3 in those games.

So he's an elite sharpshooter in the NBA when he can get run and rhythm, but off the bench shooters, especially late off the bench shooters, can't be regularly be expecting 3+ looks a game.  Unless there are injuries, like late in 20-21 where he exploded a few times.  So you have to deliver in 1-2 looks a game which he struggled with (comparatively).  His best bet is to get picked up mid/late season by a team with injuries where he can get 20 min a game and shoot the lights out and properly audition for the next season.

Thanks for the data.  If Howard gets a shot he likely will be one of the five best three point shooters in the league let alone on a single team.  If he plays 3 minutes at the end of a game you will be able to list average three point shooters on the same team in the same breath as him.  I get the height thing.  He is so elite as a shooter though I would think someone would give him a shot.  I hope he gets a real chance.  If I'm proven wrong, I'm ok with that. 

[Elonsmusk]

So its interesting, and also kind of a Catch-22.

First off, he was exponentially better in the last month of the 20-21 season and into the playoffs.  And in 21-22, he shot 40% from 3, on more attempts.

But here's the Catch-22.  In games where he shot 3 or more 3PA, Markus has shot 43% in the NBA.  In 21-22, that went up to 46.2% from 3 in those games.

So he's an elite sharpshooter in the NBA when he can get run and rhythm, but off the bench shooters, especially late off the bench shooters, can't be regularly be expecting 3+ looks a game.  Unless there are injuries, like late in 20-21 where he exploded a few times.  So you have to deliver in 1-2 looks a game which he struggled with (comparatively).  His best bet is to get picked up mid/late season by a team with injuries where he can get 20 min a game and shoot the lights out and properly audition for the next season.

Really?  I've been told by Scoopers that a player should be able to perform immediately upon insertion into a game and if they don't they should be benched.  Further, a player who gets 2-3 minute stints of action should be able to produce at a high level.

Absolutely love that Shaka rarely, if ever, has yanked a guy 2-3 minutes after inserting him.  Maybe its happened to Ben Gold a time or two, but Shaka gets it.

As for Markus, I think he's worthy of another shot in the NBA and would like to see him on the Bucks.  And I agree that he needs to see 20 minutes per game consistently to see what he can do.  Unfortunately, that opportunity doesn't exist on a contending team.  So, better off for him to get picked up by a bottom feeder and see what he can do.

[pbiflyer]

I agree.  I like a little creativity with court design, but some teams have gone a little too far.  TCU's, for example.  They ought to broadcast a seizure warning before they show it on TV

Oregon: we have the ugliest most distracting court!




TCU: hold my beer.

[Galway Eagle]

Oregon: we have the ugliest most distracting court!




TCU: hold my beer.

Northern Illinois has to be up there

[MU82]

Really?  I've been told by Scoopers that a player should be able to perform immediately upon insertion into a game and if they don't they should be benched.  Further, a player who gets 2-3 minute stints of action should be able to produce at a high level.

Absolutely love that Shaka rarely, if ever, has yanked a guy 2-3 minutes after inserting him.  Maybe its happened to Ben Gold a time or two, but Shaka gets it.

I like that Shaka lets guys get in the flow, too, though he probably has a quicker hook at times than you think.

For example, Sean Jones entered the Providence game at the 16:00 mark of the second half, committed a foul, was out of position on another play, and was sat down at the 14:54 mark.

Then, after that 1 minute, 6 second stretch, Jones didn't play again until Shaka put him in with 4 seconds left in regulation -- and asked him to "produce at a high level" with the game on the line.

[warriorchick]

Northern Illinois has to be up there

Seriously, if we can't have the bumblebee uniforms, then similar rules need to apply to courts.

Also, it's only a matter of time before someone has a center court logo that touches the 3-point line on each end of the court.  You heard it here first.

[#UnleashSean]

5'11 is 5'11.   I loved Markus, but I never thought he could make it in the NBA at 5'11.   He made it, he just couldn't stick.   If he was 6'3, second coming of Steph Curry.

Markus is closer to 5'8 then he is 5'11.

[tower912]

Yes.  Doing him the courtesy of not calling him a liar.

[Scoop Snoop]

Seriously, if we can't have the bumblebee uniforms, then similar rules need to apply to courts.

Also, it's only a matter of time before someone has a center court logo that touches the 3-point line on each end of the court.  You heard it here first.

Agree totally. I would like to see solid color in the paint-no designs. Rest of court-confine designs to specific portion of the court designated. Then a team could have whatever design they want, but only in the designated areas.  Trying to regulate the allowable designs themselves is much more difficult than that of unis.

And then there's PC's court. They play 10 conference games and a slew of non-cons there, so they have experience with the watery court. The fact that there is not another large arena in Providence should not be accepted as an excuse. That should be their problem, not the rest of us. Every year we hear that they have new equipment and have solved the problem. Every year they fail. Let them play on their on-campus court.   

[lawdog77]

Markus is closer to 5'8 then he is 5'11.

Howard was measured at 5 11 at the draft combine.

[WarriorFan]

If you look at Markus' advanced stats in Europe they show he's not involved in Defense nor does he make the team's offense better.  He's just a shooter/scorer.  Nothing more.
I think we knew that... but if Euro stats prove it, there's no way he gets another shot in the NBA.

[withoutbias]

I'm 5'11" without shoes and got a picture with Markus. I was no taller than him. Didn't notice his shoes but I doubt he was in platform shoes.

[Shooter McGavin]

If you look at Markus' advanced stats in Europe they show he's not involved in Defense nor does he make the team's offense better.  He's just a shooter/scorer.  Nothing more.
I think we knew that... but if Euro stats prove it, there's no way he gets another shot in the NBA.

Show us the stats.  That's pretty interesting.

[Small Orange Soda]

I like that Shaka lets guys get in the flow, too, though he probably has a quicker hook at times than you think.

For example, Sean Jones entered the Providence game at the 16:00 mark of the second half, committed a foul, was out of position on another play, and was sat down at the 14:54 mark.

Then, after that 1 minute, 6 second stretch, Jones didn't play again until Shaka put him in with 4 seconds left in regulation -- and asked him to "produce at a high level" with the game on the line.

Yup. Guys get yanked quickly when they come in and make dumb mistakes. Can't afford to let second string players get in the flow if that process means turning the ball over in short order.

[BM1090]

Markus is closer to 5'8 then he is 5'11.

Yep. So is Sean Jones.