By Steve DiMiceli
Next up is Marvin Binney who flew below the radar at the summer league. If you'd watch closely you'd notice that he gave solid minutes and didn't make a ton of mistakes. For a player with 3 years of eligibility, there is a fair amount of polish.
Quick Comparable: This was a difficult one but Binney reminds me of Matthew Wright from St Bonaventure, who also happens to be Canadian.
Strengths: Binney is more of a point guard but could play either guard position. He makes good decisions with the basketball when shooting and passing. He doesn't seem to force shots or drives and as a result his finishing was very consistent. He was a capable 3 point shooter, but will probably only take the best looks. Probably won't turn the ball over much and he's a strong, but not flashy ball handler. Presents as more experienced than he actually is and as a team first type point guard. He rebounded well for a guard. He plays smart, mature game.
Weaknesses: Binney may not be quick enough to dribble penetrate against most A-10 point guards consistently. He is more smooth than fast and I didn't see anything that would make me feel like he is particularly athletic. With the ball, he is almost too cautious.
Outlook: While he will be a steady contributor and doesn't have a lot of holes in his game, his upside as a scorer in the A-10 is likely limited due to his lack of explosiveness and his conservative approach. Binney will need to take advantage of mismatches when he has them or concentrate on creating shots for his teammates. Still I see little reason to believe Binney can't help this team win, but I will caution that his contributions won't always turn up in the stat sheet. He'll do the small things corredctly and this might cause some fans to overlook his value.
