Michigan State’s Marcus Bingham Jr. a Detroit Pistons possibility?
Is Marcus Bingham Jr.’s game a good fit for the Detroit Pistons and NBA?
Bingham is a four-year player for the Spartans, but his senior season was the first time he was a full-time starter.
Positives:
In 19 minutes a game, he averaged 9.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks a game. An interesting statistic is that the 7-footer shot 41.5% on three-pointers. Not at a great volume, but he made threes when he took them.
The Grand Rapids Catholic Central product’s long wingspan will help him be a rim protector at the next level.
A tall player who can hit consistently hit threes is quite valuable in the NBA. Blocking shots will also help a player achieve an NBA career. Bingham finished with 168 blocks in his career, the tops in Michigan State history, surpassing former teammate’s Xavier Tillman’s 153. And he did it despite only being a starter for one year.
He took a big leap this season, as he averaged just 3.5 points a year the previous two seasons.
Bingham also played well in big games. In addition to the Duke game, he had 19 points against Wisconsin in the Big 10 tournament, and went 4-for-4 on three-pointers against Maryland in the regular season finale.
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He scored in double digits in four of his final eight contests, seven of them playoff games.
Negatives:
Bingham Jr. has some work to do to his scoring and rebounding skills.
Right now, Bingham is mostly a back-to-the-basket offensive player. He will need to shoot more from outside (he only averaged 1.2 three-point attempts a game last year), as big men who can draw out the opposing center are prized.
On the defensive end, he blocks shots, but he can sometimes drift from his assignment to try for a block. He also will need to cut down on fouls.
Bingham turns 22-years-old a couple of weeks after the draft so, even though his game seems to be just developing, he is no kid.
Having never played more than 20 minutes a game at Michigan State, Bingham certainly needs to gain some more game experience.
Outlook:
Bingham is rated the 96th best prospect in the draft by CBS Sports
Most rating services have Bingham’s range as going from the second round to undrafted..