Phoenix Suns' Markieff Morris Has Stars In His Eyes
by Alex Laugan on Jan 21, 2012 8:01 AM MST
in Phoenix Suns Commentary
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PrintWhen Markieff Morris was picked at #13 overall in last June's draft, the collective moaning began. Conventional wisdom had him a worse player than several power forwards still on the board - including Kawhi Leonard, Kenneth Faried and twin brother Marcus - as well as rookie scoring revelations Iman Shumpert and Marshon Brooks.
But the moment Suns fans and coaches saw Markieff play his first NBA game, they realized they had a gem. Morris is a tough guy who hustles, rebounds, blocks shots AND can score from the post as well as hit 3-pointers with aplomb. He's got all the skills wrapped up in a Philly-raised package of toughness and moxie.
Morris' comment before the Laker game this month, thanks to Paul Coro:
"If they leave me open, I'm going to shoot it. If they're not watching tape, I'm just going to keep popping it and be an unexpected shooter."
But Markieff does have an achilles' heel. He is a starry-eyed rookie when it comes to current or former MVP candidates he's been watching his whole life. Some of his worst NBA games have come when he's matched up against Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol and Kevin Garnett.
Here's Morris talking about playing these guys, to Paul Coro of the Republic and azcentral.com:
Question: Is it uncanny to you to be going against guys you watched on TV last year?
Answer: Yeah, but I'm still waiting on the Kobes and LeBrons. I was star-struck when I played against Dirk (Nowitzki). I was just like, "Man, I'm really here playing on the floor with these guys." I'm just happy to be part of the team.
Q: How much did you end up covering Nowitzki in the game?
A: Two possessions. I even fouled him. I was happy to foul him at least.
His line against the Mavericks: 2-4 shooting points (0-1 on threes), 5 rebounds, 4 fouls in 17 minutes
His line against the Lakers: 0-4 shooting (0-1 on threes), 3 rebounds on 15 minutes
His line against the Celtics: 0-3 shooting (0-1 on threes), 4 rebounds, 4 turnovers in 20 minutes
And even beyond these stat lines, Morris has looked as awestruck as he said he was. His shots were rushed, hitting off the back iron or even missing the hoop entirely.
His line against everyone else*: .50% shooting (51% on threes), 6 rebounds, 10 points in 22 minutes
*(includes a 1-minute stint against the Hornets in game 5. No idea what happened there...)
He did play well with Tim Duncan on the floor, and laid an egg against the likes of journeyman Kris Humphries, so his struggles are definitely not confined to superstar opponents.
Rookies have highs and lows. They don't yet know how to mentally prepare for the NBA schedule, and if you're not mentally prepared then your body and energy will fluctuate unexpectedly.
But for a guy who seems have it all figured out, and who seems to prove it on most nights by making hustle plays on one end (steals, blocks) followed by draining an open jump shot on the other end, he just seems to lose a bit of that luster when the opponent is someone he's been watching since he was a kid.
And now that he is a starter for the foreseeable future, he will be facing superstar power forwards on a regular basis. Let's hope he gets over those rookie, starstruck jitters fairly soon.
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By the end of the year, our starting lineup could be...
Nash, Redd, Hill, Morris, and Gortat. Three All-Stars, a 4th should-be all-star, and a ROY candidate. Yeah, they’re old – Hill and Nash have proven that over the last two games…
Honestly, I don’t care who starts. I don’t care what people think. We could suck, or surprise – and neither would surprise me.
"The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
"In the long run the pessimist may be proved right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip."
This is why I believe that we'll land Dwight Howard
When he’s 40.
I'm Michael Beasley's imaginary friend.
by suns68 on Jan 21, 2012 9:52 AM MST up reply actions 1 recs
And then we'll heal him
And he’ll leave us McDyess style
Steve Nash, the league's MVP, is a longhaired Canadian who spoke out against the war in Iraq and reads The Communist Manifesto. Quentin Richardson declared after a game-winning shot that it "was like Hamlet. It was a suspense thriller, and I killed them at the end." Amare Stoudemire, when asked to comment on a 22-point third quarter against the Kings, said, "I've got a tendency to jump over some guys' heads and throw it down."
keef will come along in 2-3 weeks.
he’s trying to look a lil bit to cool on the floor. (and he does look cool!)
do they make weed-tests? his eyes are not open enough :)
Stuttgart Sport
Suns, FCK, Packers - thats Feld
He always tries to be calm and collective
But are you talking about a drug test? Lol.
"If Gortat pulls off a real Dream Shake in-game this year I will shave my head.
Mark my words." Piotr Szczesniak 12/12/11 2:12 PM
Cardinals, Suns, D-backs for life!
Speaking of Nowitzki, I remember a similar interview in his rookie year, after he played against his childhood idol, fellow german Detlef Schrempf. He was really starstruck, and threw a few airballs.
Years later, he became better than Schrempf.
easy better than detlef
and he doesnt play for the national team.. this DETLEF…
do the name Detlef sound so strange to you americans as it sounds in german?! ahhhhh DETLEF ahhhhhhhh
Stuttgart Sport
Suns, FCK, Packers - thats Feld
I know this is rote and unecessary to mention, but give him time; he'll figure it out, and once he does
he will make for a solid prospect
I cant stand it when Keef is hangin around the 3pt line. He needs to work from 18ft and in. If this guy is a true PF then why do they let him play out of position so much? He needs to work on his post moves as early and as often as possible. If he wants to jack up an occasional 3 thats fine, but he doesnt need to be shootin them like Frye. Amare had range but you didnt see him try to make a living at the 3-point strike…..Come on Keef get 20 & 10 like a real PF thats what we need… :)
Yeah. I agree. I like him out there occasionally, but he seems to live out there a bit too much. He’s one of our few guys who can post. We need a bit more of that out of him.
by BringBackBarkley17 on Jan 21, 2012 11:06 AM MST up reply actions
if he shoots 40+% on 3s, he needs to stand around the 3-pt line. At 18 feet, he’s only in the way of the p-n-r roller and Nash.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Jan 21, 2012 11:06 AM MST up reply actions 3 recs
while I agree with what you have said, I thnk Morris should try and work on his pnr game with nash;
a shot closer to the basket is always a higher percentage shot than one coming from 20+ feet out
40% on 3s is like shooting 60% on 2s
The 3 is a good shot for him if he can stroke it consistently
Steve Nash, the league's MVP, is a longhaired Canadian who spoke out against the war in Iraq and reads The Communist Manifesto. Quentin Richardson declared after a game-winning shot that it "was like Hamlet. It was a suspense thriller, and I killed them at the end." Amare Stoudemire, when asked to comment on a 22-point third quarter against the Kings, said, "I've got a tendency to jump over some guys' heads and throw it down."
Plus why would he work on the P&R with Nash when Gortat - who is one of the best at it in the league - is out there?
In that situation, Keef is better served to spot up at the 3PT line and then back cut or crash the offensive glass.
Perhaps he should work inside a little more, but the 3PT shot is a big part of his game and it’s not going anywhere.
Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!
Read my thoughts on Creighton University athletics at Creightonian.com
I also edit things at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out.
The problem with that is
Keef is a much better 3 point shooter than someone like even STAT is. Like Alex says, if he keeps shooting 40% or better on 3s, then why not have that mismatch outside creating more room for P&R.
"If Gortat pulls off a real Dream Shake in-game this year I will shave my head.
Mark my words." Piotr Szczesniak 12/12/11 2:12 PM
Cardinals, Suns, D-backs for life!
Not really
The rebounding deficit is on the other end moreso – http://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2012.html or DREB% is .711 – 4tgh worst – and mist rebounds are on that end.
I remember Kobe as a rookie in the playoffs.
His final minutes of the season ended in disaster when he shot 4 air balls at crucial times in the game.15 He first missed a jumper to win the game in the 4th quarter and 3 three-pointers in overtime (2 of which would have tied the game in the final minute). With that the Utah Jazz ended the playoffs for the Lakers in the second round. Shaquille O’Neal commented years later that “[Bryant] was the only guy who had the guts at the time to take shots like that.”3132
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_Bryant#First_three_seasons_
Not saying Markieff will be nearly as good as Kobe, but it just goes to show that even the most talented rookies have moments when they look completely clueless. It’s all part of the maturation process. He’s going to have growing pains along the way, which is why Channing Frye still needs to carry the bulk of the responsibility at PF.
Blogging Suns basketball for Bright Side of the Sun from California wine country.
Twitter: @EastBayRaymundo
I remember that
Kobe was 17 at the time, right?
Steve Nash, the league's MVP, is a longhaired Canadian who spoke out against the war in Iraq and reads The Communist Manifesto. Quentin Richardson declared after a game-winning shot that it "was like Hamlet. It was a suspense thriller, and I killed them at the end." Amare Stoudemire, when asked to comment on a 22-point third quarter against the Kings, said, "I've got a tendency to jump over some guys' heads and throw it down."
He was 18 at the time of that game, 17 when drafted.
Blogging Suns basketball for Bright Side of the Sun from California wine country.
Twitter: @EastBayRaymundo
by East Bay Ray on Jan 21, 2012 1:50 PM MST up reply actions
Hey, he asked!
I couldn’t expect him to follow the link I provided or anything…….
Blogging Suns basketball for Bright Side of the Sun from California wine country.
Twitter: @EastBayRaymundo
by East Bay Ray on Jan 21, 2012 6:11 PM MST up reply actions
I meant to add..he is still a work in progress..
Realistically, How much did we truly expect out of him when he was drafted…He has exceeding expectations in my mind and it only gets better from here…
Let's do this...!
Did you purposely add a photo with his eyes close on this article to add irony?
Silly Keef, you play with your eyes opened
In all seriousness though, he’ll be fine. Blake Griffin is in his 2nd year (3rd technically) and he’s still trying to improve offensively with those midrange. Give Morris a few more years and see what he’s capable off.
Twitter: @FredLegittt
Well said
It always takes players time to to adapt to the NBA, regardless of how talented they are.
"If Gortat pulls off a real Dream Shake in-game this year I will shave my head.
Mark my words." Piotr Szczesniak 12/12/11 2:12 PM
Cardinals, Suns, D-backs for life!
I think it's funny he's been "star-struck" by Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol and Kevin Garnett
but not Tim Duncan.
I’m with Markieff. I don’t care how success Duncan’s been. That guy’s a bore
I don't think he was star-struck about Kevin Garnett
Keiff looked slow against the Celtics because he was still feeling sick. This is the same reason why he barely played in NY
by Will Smith on Jan 21, 2012 2:11 PM MST up reply actions 3 recs
Starting Morris for defense
seems like a decent strategy because he’ll box out better then Frye and then Frye and can come off the bench to give a scoring punch, especially vs. a backup.
Kawhi Leonard has looked better thus far, you can’t deny that.
by oLLiE Boombayay on Jan 21, 2012 12:44 PM MST reply actions
Actually, I can deny that.
Their numbers are virtually the same, although Keef plays 3 less mpg and Leonard hasn’t had to deal with an illness. Plus Kieff is a PF, which we needed. Leonard is a SF, which we needed less. Leonard has the edge on defense, but Keef is a much better 3PT shooter.
Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!
Read my thoughts on Creighton University athletics at Creightonian.com
I also edit things at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out.
It's a small sample size
Way too early to second guess anything. Leonard was on a hot streak and now a cold streak. Morris has been up and down plus Suns need him more then spurs need Leonard. Leonard has contributed more to Spurs wins which is why I’ve said he’s been better. He also killed the Suns. Suns would have probably gone for the other Morris/Shumpert if they didn’t pick Kief so it’s a moot point.
It will be interesting to see if Morris 3 pt. % stays high while teams adjust. I’d like to see him use that size to get to the rim/FT line.
by oLLiE Boombayay on Jan 22, 2012 7:07 PM MST up reply actions
I don't see this as a huge issue
If this is all we have to complain about, that is amazing for a rookie. I’m excited to see him develop a feel for the NBA game, but I think he’s well on his way.
Depending on how great his work ethic is, his ceiling is high.
Crashing the [message] boards from the swamps of Louisiana, and blogging Phoenix Suns!
by PHXgp on Jan 21, 2012 2:49 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
Can never hurt to be around guys like Nash and Hill
Even Gortat is a very hard worker. He has great examples on this team and I see our veterans talking to him all the time in games. From interviews he seems like he is willing to put in the work to be a very good player, but we will have to see of course.
"If Gortat pulls off a real Dream Shake in-game this year I will shave my head.
Mark my words." Piotr Szczesniak 12/12/11 2:12 PM
Cardinals, Suns, D-backs for life!
dude, I’m not complaining. I’m just pointing it out.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Kieff just seems to get distracted easily
He has the IQ to make smart plays, we’ve seen it in his blocked shots and some nice passing. But then a lot of the time he ends up behind the play, making late rotations, throwing lazy passes, etc. Hopefully Gortat will improve enough to the point where it opens up the game for Kieff with short jumpers and looks at the rim.
Morris has played a grand total of 315 NBA minutes, and he's not a star yet? TRADE HIM!!!
"The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
"In the long run the pessimist may be proved right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip."
Thats funny
This guy Morris’ value far exceeds what I thought we were picking up. Look at our previous drafts (Including Dragic)
by Wolf Make-Shift on Jan 21, 2012 5:10 PM MST up reply actions
DRagic was a mid-to-late 2nd rounder.
Keef was a late lottery pick. I would certainly hope he’d be better than Dragic.
Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!
Read my thoughts on Creighton University athletics at Creightonian.com
I also edit things at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out.
The fact that Markieff Morris has outdone Earl Clark and Robin Lopez has me plenty happy.
Just because Steve Nash has that "dirty hipster" look doesn't mean he's in need of a shower. Steve Nash bathes in the tears of his victims on a nightly basis.
Mark of a Beast, baby. Mark of a Beast.
Good news! Dirk is going to miss 4 games with a sore knee according to Dwain Price...Mavs beat writer
Adriel Jeremiah Green!!!
Thats amazing news
We some breaks like that. Yezir!
by Wolf Make-Shift on Jan 21, 2012 5:08 PM MST up reply actions
Hopefully we go out and take advantage of it.
Adriel Jeremiah Green!!!
Nah,
Lamar Odom is going to have his break-out game as a Mav. Book it.
Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!
Read my thoughts on Creighton University athletics at Creightonian.com
I also edit things at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out.
But we still win.
Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!
Read my thoughts on Creighton University athletics at Creightonian.com
I also edit things at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out.
this part is true. Odom and Marion will both have great games. That’s just the way it is.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Haha not buying into the blind optimism part, though?
Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!
Read my thoughts on Creighton University athletics at Creightonian.com
I also edit things at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out.
Odom's a reality TV star.
We’re so screwed.
Just because Steve Nash has that "dirty hipster" look doesn't mean he's in need of a shower. Steve Nash bathes in the tears of his victims on a nightly basis.
Mark of a Beast, baby. Mark of a Beast.
I think markieff might be the best three point shooting power forward the league has seen since sam perkins.
He does have a very good outside shot, i just want to step inside the arc once and a while and take a shot from 18 to 20 feet. He also needs to continue to hit the weight room and add about ten more pounds of muscle so he can box out the heftier postmen in the league.
I really believe that in a couple of months(hopefully starting) he"ll lose the rookie jitters and really be in a constant attack mode.
Another question we have to ask ourselves(even though it’s still pretty early in the season, looking into the crystal ball, who do we see the suns placing next to morris in free agency?
Also who could we see the suns drafting to team up with markieff and the potential free agent to try and form a big three in phoenix next season?
Just some fun speculation on what might happen for the suns in free agency and the draft!
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