A two-time All-Big 12 member, Marcus Carr revived his NBA upside after transferring from Minnesota to Texas in 2021. As a 6th year senior in 2023, Carr averaged 16 PPG, 3 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG, and 1.6 TOPG on splits of 43/37/77. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: Marcus Carr
Height/Weight: 6’2
Wingspan/ standing reach: N/A
Hand size: N/A
Position: Guard
Pre-Draft team: Texas
Tools: Defense, tough shot making
Pros:
- Outstanding defender, both off-ball and on-ball
- Can play both guard spots on both ends
- Can rise over defenders and hit difficult shots
- Possesses a good runner
- Good playmaker with minimal turnovers
- Efficient P&R ball-handler
- Low turnover, mistake-free ball-handler
Cons:
- Streaky shooter
- Needs to get better finishing at the rim
- Slightly undersized and old for a prospect
- Simple playmaker; doesn’t make advanced reads often and has a simple handle
- Picks up his dribble too quickly at times out of the P&R
Summary:
Marcus Carr went from a volume scorer and offensive focused player at Minnesota to a defense-first guard with connective ability as a scorer and playmaker when needed, which has been a positive transformation and revolution of his game.
Defensively, Marcus Carr gladly accepts the assignment of guarding star ball-handlers, and being successful in preventing players from getting to their spots easily, both on-ball and off-ball. Having seen Carr in person twice at TCU, I have seen him do what almost no other defender has done in the three years Mike Miles has been there: lock Miles up and prevent him from even getting hand-offs, open shots, or shaking Carr with space creation moves on-ball. Because of this, Marcus Carr will be a pest that agents should not schedule their fringe guards to go against in pre-draft workouts.
Offensively, Carr will have to be an outstanding jump shooter to stick in the NBA, due to his struggles at the rim & size. While he can fit with other guards easily, he must be able to efficiently shoot off the dribble as a self-creator. While he is a good spot-up shooter, he shot just 25% from 3 on off the dribble jumpers. However, Carr’s efficient 45.7% from 2 on pull-up jumpers is beneficial to him, which exemplifies his consistent tough shot-making.
As a playmaker, Carr rarely makes advanced reads, but he is incredibly effective at making the simple pass out of a variety of sets, and does so quickly. As a point guard, being able to find the easy pass quickly is more important than going for home run plays often, and hitting only a fraction of the time. What Carr will need to do to translate as a playmaker is be better at keeping his dribble alive, especially out of the P&R. Carr gives his hand away, letting the defense know he is passing in these situations, which takes away his quick processing speed against quicker defenders in the NBA.
Overall, Marcus Carr has a good mix of skills to be a back-end point guard as a last roster spot. His lockdown defense gives off contagious energy, and with shot-making and trusted playmaking, he can survive on both ends of the floor.
Similar to: Patrick Beverley, Davion Mitchell
Projected draft range: Undrafted
Expected role: Defensive pest with mixed offensive skills,
Unplayable if: Size limits his defense from translating, and offensive firepower isn’t advanced enough to stay on the floor.
Exceeds expectations if: Off the dribble scoring improves consistency, and playmaking develops further. Additionally, if he can guard both guard slots at the same level as he did in college, his high-level defense will make him a difficult assignment for offensive players.
Videos:
Shot chart:
