The first cab off the rank in this year’s Ranking The Roster series is Mark Sears, who arrives in the Cream City with a laundry list of accolades from the college level. In a sport heavily favoured to tall people, it’s going to be an uphill climb for the 5’11” Sears to make headway as an NBA player. That said, of all the short guards to reach the fringes of the league, I think he has as good a shot as anyone.
So, what qualities does Mark have that would make him of use to the Bucks? Well, the Bucks have a dearth of true playmakers on the team; you’re looking mainly at Giannis (obviously), Kevin Porter Jr., and Cole Anthony. If Sears plays meaningful minutes this season, it would likely be if one of Porter or Anthony gets hurt, and he’d assume some semblance of the role he played in college as a high-usage playmaker. Of course, he’d also have to beat out fellow two-way Jamaree Bouyea. I should note that Mark was closer to a scoring guard than a facilitator at Alabama, but the Bucks need scoring as much as they need passing, so that could work out OK.
Another aspect that could work in Sears’ favour is that, with Dame off the team, it becomes easier to insulate a smaller guard like him than it would have been with Lillard still on the team. Guys like KPJ, AJ Green, Gary Trent, and Ryan Rollins could surround Mark at the SG and SF spots to cover for his weaknesses. If they can work out how to keep him on the court defensively, he’s going to create good stuff on the other end with his shooting (career 37.5% three-point shooter in college) and scoring ability.
Finally, I want to address the “undersized, high-usage college players can’t scale down their roles in the NBA” argument. I think there is always value in being “the guy.” Players learn a lot by playing a role in which they are relied on heavily to create offence for their team. This experience is valuable because when these players reach the NBA, they should understand what “the guy” on the NBA team needs and be able to mould their game to fit that. Furthermore, Mark’s game lends itself to scaling down; he’s a good shooter and thus can play off the ball. He also has decent passing instincts (averaged 3.9 APG across five college seasons) and knows how to make the next play. For example, if Giannis were to post up and get double-teamed, Sears would know what the correct read is when the ball is swung to him (in a way that Taurean Prince, for example, probably would not).
Overall, I’m a fan of Mark Sears and love his story of rising from obscurity to become a two-time All-American. But what about you, the readers? Do you think Sears has any shot to see the floor this season, or in the playoffs? Let us know in the gut check and in the comments, but most importantly, vote below for who you believe Milwaukee’s next-best player is!
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