Evaluating Marcos Louzada Silva

May 27, 2019

This time around, I decided to watch Franca’s 6-5 guard, Marcos Louzada Silva from Brazil play in a couple of basketball games this season; one against Olimpia that took place on November 14th, with thanks to YouTube via NBB na TV, and I also saw another game that he played against Bauru in that was on April 22nd, with thanks to Facebook via NBB CAIXA. Here are my thoughts on how he fared in these matches, as well as how his skills may translate to the NBA.

Marcos Louzada Silva is an athletic, high-motor basketball player that may project well into a 3 and D type of role in the NBA, as he is a very good spot-up shooter, will put himself in the right spots and hustle on defense, and he also will make team plays consistently when he is on the court. Silva possesses a good ability to knock down three-point shots to space the floor for his team on offense. He really excels at making spot-up threes off the catch, and he will take advantage especially when defenders give him ample space for him to shoot the basketball. However, he tends to struggle more to shoot on the move or when defenders close out quickly on him, as he may have a bit of a slow, wind-up type of release when taking three-point shots.

He also moves well off the ball, as he can quickly run to spots on the floor to get the ball, and he was able to make a quick mid-range shot off the catch. He missed on a turnaround mid-range jumper another time from the left elbow later on against Bauru, but Silva has a much quicker release when he takes jumpers from shorter distances. Also, Silva excels at scoring on hustle plays. He runs the floor well, as he was able to score on a high-flying, one-handed dunk in transition, and he also used a quick, left-handed ball fake to score on a fast break drive off the glass. He also is a crafty player that can score on quick cuts to the hoop, as he was able to score on a reverse flip layup another time.

However, he may struggle to create his own shot consistently in the half-court, and he especially can tend to struggle to score in traffic. On one good play though, he utilized a jab step to score on a left-handed drive to the hoop. However, Silva tends to struggle to score in traffic when the help arrives, as he can struggle to change directions or finish plays around the basket when contested. He also attempted to score once in the post, but after backing his man down and using a quick shoulder fake, he ended up missing on a turnaround jumper.

Plus, Silva displayed adequate playmaking skills. He is an unselfish player that has sees the floor well, and he has good timing on his passes, which allows him to throw crisp, interior passes to find teammates on the move to set up scores for them, but sometimes he can play too recklessly and over-penetrate when dribbling into traffic, which can lead him to make hasty decisions that lead him to turn the ball over.

He also did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. Silva has very good ball location skills, motor, and instincts, as he will chase down balls to get boards on both ends of the floor. He has a keen nose for the ball, as he was able to help track down balls to get his team plenty of offensive rebounds, and he also will box out to help get some defensive rebounds. Silva will actively crash the glass, and sometimes he will bring the ball up after getting defensive boards for his team.

Silva also played adequate defense. He is an active and alert defender that has fairly good agility and footwork to guard opponents out on the perimeter, and he also has functional strength that allows him to defend bigger players when defending in the post. He was able to hold his ground when defending a bigger player in the post once, as he then managed to block a shot to himself to force a miss due to possessing good leaping ability and timing. Silva also was able to intercept a pass to get a steal, and he also will stay in front of opposing ball handlers to contest jumpers to force misses. Sometimes though, he can be too aggressive, which can lead him to commit fouls or to be out of position, which would lead him unable to contest three-point shots at times. He also had his hands down when defending an entry pass, as that led his team to allow an inside score early on against Olimpia.

In general, Marcos Louzada Silva, also known as Didi, is an athletic, high-motor player that can play a variety of positions, and he is an intriguing prospect that could project into a 3 and D type of role in the NBA. He has a knack for making sound team plays, and he also has the durability to play for long stretches. He may need to stay overseas for a year or two to show that he can continue to succeed against high-level competition. Even still, Silva could be a worthwhile pick for an NBA team in the second round, as his skills may potentially enable him to thrive as a role player in the association.