Well, at least we didn't get another C- from good ol' Chad Ford.
In fact, the funniest thing (to me) about the morning's grades is the collective surprise that the Suns actually made a move to fill every need in one player.
Markieff Morris is not a savior. In fact, he won't even be an All-Star.
But he will likely be, at worst, a 10-15 year rotation player like a Dale Davis. At best? Maybe Carlos Boozer. Or, as Draft Express puts it: Rasheed Wallace without the crazy.
I'll be thrilled with the worst case scenario there. The man rebounds, fights, plays tough, finshes at a high rate around the rim, and makes open jumpers. And he's a pure PF who can slide into C in a small lineup.
Drafting Morris is like eating oatmeal for breakfast. You know it's good for you and the right thing to do, but it doesn't have pizzazz of chocolate-covered sugar bombs.
Here's a really good breakdown on SBNationAZ, from our own Seth Pollack.
Phoenix Suns Pick Markieff Morris 13th In NBA Draft - SB Nation Arizona
Seth gives us a really good breakdown of Morris' offensive game, which isn't too shabby. Biggest takeaways: he likes the left side of the floor, finishes at a really high rate, and doesn't take bad shots.
Hit the link for the grades I found...
NBA Draft Grades: Phoenix Suns Rate Solid 'B' - SB Nation Arizona
The Phoenix Suns new front office triumvirate of Lon Babby, Lance Blanks and John Treloar made the safe choice with the 13th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. It was their first draft running the Suns and they absolutely couldn't afford a bust so you can understand why they went with a safe, if not exciting, choice who will likely be an NBA role player for many years but is almost certainly never going to develop All-Star potential.Shumpert was the high-risk, high-reward pick and this was not the time for the Suns to be making that kind of choice.
2011 NBA Draft Team Grades - CBSSports.com
CBSSports gave the Suns a B- for Markieff. Not bad, considering the grader is long-time BEdger Ben Golliver. Score one of the Suns.
Phoenix Suns: Markieff Morris. Grade: B-. The Suns went against the grain in terms of which Morris twin was expected to go first, and Markieff brings a physical presence that is currently lacking. He's probably the better fit. The Suns addressed a position, but did they put themselves back on a positive trajectory? Seems like they're facing the same problems as a franchise that they were yesterday.
2011 NBA draft results: Draft grades - ESPN
The Suns decided they needed size and another defensive presence, and to get those qualities, they may have reached just a bit for Morris here.
A year ago, scouts would've laughed at the suggestion that Markieff would go ahead of twin brother Marcus. But after a stellar junior season, he leapt ahead on some draft boards.
Morris is a solid rebounder and defender and he's tough. He can also shoot the ball, a big bonus in Alvin Gentry's system.
Grade: B-
NBA Draft Grades 2011: Suns Confuse Markieff Morris' Family, Get Tougher - SBNation.com
Synopsis: Morris immediately becomes Phoenix's toughest power forward. I'm really going out on a ledge here, considering that Hakim Warrick and Channing Frye are the competition. But still. The Suns now have two brawlers in the frontcourt (Morris, Marcin Gortat), and the team's famously bad rebounding should improve, provided that Alvin Gentry gives Morris lots of early minutes.
Chris Singleton or Kawhi Leonard would have been better value picks and also met the defense/toughness need. But that's more a quibble than a demerit. A for effort, C for execution, which averages out to ...
Grade: B.
Markieff Morris among top 15 NBA draft sleepers - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
Before the draft, Yahoo Sports actually listed Markieff as a major sleeper.
A scout said Markieff's twin brother, Marcus, is expected to get drafted about five spots higher than his sibling. Markieff is projected to go as high as the middle of the first-round.
Unlike his brother, Markieff is focusing on playing power, not small forward.
"A lot of people are sleeping on me, but it is what it is," Markieff said.
An NBA scout's take: "One of the most undervalued guys in the draft. His brother gets all the headlines. He's a legitimate power forward cut from Dale Davis cloth who can defend, rebound and can make passes from the post. A winner."
There you have it. Let's talk.