Orlando Magic: Feelings On Roy Devyn Marble?
By Luke Duffy
Second-round draft picks don’t always stick around in the NBA, and this is generally accepted. At best a team is hoping to get a solid rotation player who they hope can join the rotation sooner rather than later.
Of course some go on to overachieve and have long and respected careers. Indeed Chandler Parsons, arguably the most underrated player in the league, was a second-round pick himself only a couple of years ago.
With that in mind, how exactly will Roy Devyn Marble do for the Orlando Magic once the season begins?
We’ll start with his participation in the Summer League in Las Vegas with the team, where there were more good games than bad. In the four games he played, it quickly became evident that he could stuff the stat sheet, but in a nice and even way.
Lines like seven points, six rebounds, an assist and a steal in 19 minutes. On a whole for the week of action, he averaged 9.4 points and 6.2 rebounds.
That rebounding number is somewhat important, and we’ll come back to that in a moment.
Marble was confident in everything he did, and really those numbers are what the team would hope he could bring once the season begins. He’s not a game winner, just somebody who can keep the board ticking over while the starters take to the bench.
In that regard he is doing everything correctly and at this moment looks to be the kind of second-round pick teams love to pick up.
Another plus is his versatility. He’s 6’6″ and played predominantly as a small forward in college. However, looking at him, he’s got the handle and you would think the IQ to spend time as a guard if really needed.
We’re not saying he’s going to become a play maker overnight for this team, but that kind of versatility is valuable during a long season.
Back to the rebounding numbers. For a guy like himself, who at this moment is a little undersized and not as big as some other forwards, he sure does get his fair share of boards.
That is a great plus to have in this guy, not allowing his physical limitations to hinder what he does on the court. In fact, it is that work rate and engine that may see him take on an even bigger role once the season really gets going.
On the negative size, some of his physical attributes are a worry as we’ve mentioned. He’s not terribly explosive either, and so other forwards should get around him easily enough.
His workhorse mentality will help out here from time to time, but it can only mask the deficiencies he has here.
Where the immediate impact should hopefully come though is on the defensive end. Marble slides his feet well and is comfortable guarding a couple of positions on the floor, which can help bail out this team’s weaker defenders if they are having a particularly bad night.
Add to that the fact he looks comfortable enough shooting the 3 ball, although it could certainly be better, and there’s all the makings of a real rotation guy here.
It’s not going to be that straightforward of course, this is the NBA after all, home of the best players in the world. But on paper and against the limited opposition he has faced so far, Marble has done well.
Keeping this little bit of momentum he has going into training camp now is a must for him.
Look, the guy was a second-round pick for a reason, so let’s not hype him up too much here. But so far, if you’re the Magic then you are undoubtedly happy with what you have seen so far.
Cheap, good engine and what appears to be the right attitude. Plugging him into a second unit makes all the sense in the world when you look at all the facts presented.
How long will he be a Magic player? We don’t know, but what is becoming clear is this guy can absolutely hold his own.
He is versatile, has a desirable work rate and has settled nicely. Going forward Elfrid Payton, Aaron Gordon and plenty of other guys will get far more air time, but keep your eye on this guy and the numbers he brings to this team.
At this moment it’s pure speculation, but how do you think he’ll pan out? Did you watch him at the Summer League and if so, do you completely disagree with what is written here?
No matter what you think, it’s a battle to make it this far and attempt to stick to a roster, and in that regard, Roy Devyn Marble is doing just fine so far.