Why the Los Angeles Lakers Will Regret Waiving Kendall Marshall

On July 18, the Los Angeles Lakers decided to waive young point guard Kendall Marshall. This came as a surprise to many, and the Lakers will eventually regret their questionable decision.  

In 2013, Marshall averaged eight points and 8.8 assists per game. His most notable stretch came in January, when he collected at least 10 assists and 10 points in five consecutive games.

Adam Wexler, Houston Rockets insider for CSN Houston, tweeted on the subject:

Only 2 NBA players avg'd 8+ assists/gm & made 39% or better on 3's. Steph Curry & Kendall Marshall. One of them got waived today.

— AdamWexlerCSN (@awexler) July 18, 2014 Marshall showed glimpses of his passing ability when he was a rookie for the Phoenix Suns. That season, he averaged 7.3 points and 7.3 assists per 36 minutes.  

  

With the acquisition of Jeremy Lin, and Steve Nash on the bench, there was clearly not enough room in La La Land for Marshall. However, a 22-year-old point guard who ranked third in assists per game is not easy to come by.

Nash only played in 15 games last season, and with his inability to stay healthy, the Lakers are going to need a backup behind Lin. Nash is 40 years old and has spent most of his Lakers career hurt.

Lin will most likely become the starting point guard in Los Angeles even though he struggled over his last two seasons with the Houston Rockets. Lin has been inconsistent as a facilitator and perimeter shooter throughout his career. Marshall excelled in both areas at last year.

Of course, there is a chance that Marshall only succeeded because he was in Mike D'Antoni's system, which is known for being fast-paced and allowing point guards to thrive.

Several point guards have excelled in his system over the past decade. Even Raymond Felton averaged nine assists per game when D'Antoni coached the New York Knicks.<...

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