Markus Howard Scouting Report 2020

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 175 lbs

Position: PG

College/Team: Marquette

Basketball IQ 8

Passing 7

Leadership 8

Dribbling 8

Athleticism 6

Rebounding 4

Upside 6

Hustle 8

Shooting 8

Defense 5

68

Overall Rating

#20

Position Ranking

#53

Draft Ranking

Main Scouting Report

Markus Howard was one of the most electric players in college basketball for the past few seasons, lighting it up as the lead guard for Marquette. He was a 4-year player for the Golden Eagles and showed why he was one of the best scorers and creators in the country. Howard led the Big East in scoring his junior and senior season, averaging over 25 points a game both seasons.

Howard did not have a lot of help around him at Marquette, so he took a high volume of shots to try to carry his team. Howard took a lot of 3’s a game because he was one of the best shooters in college basketball, and used his tight handle to create easy baskets in isolation situations. Howard was one of the best attacking guards in the country because he could score from anywhere on the court against any sized defender.

Howard will most likely be a second-round selection because of his age and lack of size at the point guard spot. Howard is 5’11 and weighs 175 pounds, making him a massive liability on the defensive end, especially at the NBA level. He struggled in college and will be attacked night in and night out at the next level. Other smaller guards have elite speed or leaping ability to make up for that size at the NBA level, and Howard does not have those traits, which could make it hard for him to stick at the top level.

Strengths

Howard’s strengths come on the offensive end, where he is as polished as you can be as an individual scorer entering the draft. Despite his size, Howard has the strength to finish around the rim with bigger bodies surrounding him and uses creative angles to get his shot up. He is a great facilitator out of pick and roll and driving situations because of this, and he was a great facilitator to the shooters around him when the defenders collapsed on his drives.

Howard was a great shooter every year at Marquette, shooting at least 41% from deep each year, despite his high volume of shots. Howard has a lightning-quick release, allowing him to shoot at any moment, even with a defender in his face. Howard was a great shooter on pull-up situations in transition, shooting over 45% off the dribble as well. If Howard wants to stick in the NBA, he needs to carry over his elite shooting ability to be a good reserve point guard.

Weaknesses

With all of that being said, Howard has a lot of work to do to secure a position on an NBA roster going forward. Howard is very undersized going forward in today’s NBA and will struggle on the defensive end mightily because of that. Also, Howard does not have the physical tools to make up for that lack of size like some of the other smaller guards in the league.

Howard had lapses on defense that are due to the mental side of the game and needs to focus on being consistent with an effort at that end of the court. Also, Howard did not have an effective shot selection and ended up forcing a lot of shots in the paint despite being such a good shooter from deep. Also, he does not have a good pull-up game from the mid-range and will need to add that to his arsenal to combat his lack of size.

Player Comparison

It is hard to predict the future for Markus Howard because he could end up being an amazing shooter and working himself to being a key component to an NBA rotation because of his offensive value, or he could fall out of the league really quickly because of being such a liability on the other end and his offensive value doesn’t outweigh the negatives. I think Howard can have a career like Raul Neto is having right now in the NBA. Neto has been a reserve guard who plays sparingly because of his defensive limitations but is a lights-out shooter when he is in the game.

If Howard can figure out his defense and shot selection, Howard could potentially have a career like Isiah Thomas did for a few brief years but will need to remain healthy and improve on defense by a lot to make that leap as a player. He can add instant offense off the bench as long as he can be hidden on the defensive end. He can be an elite off-ball shooter in an offense or a good shot creator like Louis Williams off the bench.

Draft Range

Howard is on the fringe of being drafted right now because of his age, size, and athleticism. He has likable tools in a prospect but does not have the ceiling that teams want from prospects towards the end of the draft. I think Howard will be taken in the last 15 picks of the draft because of his upside as a shooter.

Team Fit

Markus Howard needs to go to a place that can train him and help him develop a more consistent jumper and grow into a competent defender. I think the Denver Nuggets would be a great landing spot for him with their last pick in the draft. Howard is a player that could develop into a legitimate piece, and Denver has a track record of excellent player development in recent years.

Ratings Breakdown

Basketball IQ: 8

Howard has great vision as a lead guard and stayed on the court and avoided fouls.

Leadership: 8

Howard was a 4-year leader and a captain in college.

Athleticism: 6

Howard is an average athlete which is a detriment due to his size.

Upside: 6

His potential as a player is a reserve point guard at the next level.

Shooting: 8

Howard was an elite shooter, but needs to clean up shot selection.

Passing: 7

Howard is a strong passer in pick and roll and driving situations.

Dribbling: 7

Howard has a tight handle that he uses to create space to shoot.

Rebounding: 4

He was an average rebounder as a guard.

Hustle: 8

Howard played hard and played most of the game and led the country in minutes as a senior at Marquette.

Defense: 4

He will struggle due to his size on the defensive end and is prone to mental lapses.

Jared Ramsey

I am a basketball nerd who loves to obsess over draft classes and prospects. I work to find the right fit for each player and explain why that player is a fit within that NBA team.