Suns.com On Morris's first game

[SweetD]

http://www.nba.com/suns/news/summer_league_120715

The Phoenix Suns didn’t have to wait long on Sunday to see a little bit of everything they were hoping to see out of second-year power forward Markieff Morris.
During the first 10-minute quarter of play Sunday at the Suns’ opening game of the 2012 NBA Summer League, Morris got the Suns off to a fast start and the lead with 10 points, three rebounds and a monster block.
He finished the game with a team-best 21 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots.....

 

[Folster]

http://www.nba.com/suns/news/summer_league_120715

They forgot his 6 fouls. If I were Majerle I would play him as if he was only allowed 6 fouls and made sure he knew that before hand.

 

[SweetD]

Dunk highlight.
http://www.nba.com/video/games/suns/2012/07/15/1521200009_nyk_phx_play1.nba

 

[NashDishesDimes]

I wish they could cut frye and just play Scola and Kieff at PF

 

[devilalum]

I wish they could cut frye and just play Scola and Kieff at PF

Maybe they could trade Frye for an overpaid SG?

 

[Phrazbit]

Maybe they could trade Frye for an overpaid SG?

I was under the impression that Frye is an overpaid SG.

 

[devilalum]

I don't understand this idea some people have that the Suns should sign bad players so they can be really bad so they can draft the next Tim Duncan. That's like buying lottery tickets as a plan to pay off your $30k in credit card debt.

Tanking for an entire season to get a star can net you a Michael Beasley just as easy as it'll get you a Derrick Rose. Under the new CBA restricted free agency is terrible. No team is going to let a star player walk without matching. Just look at the Gordon signing. NO had to match even if they don't plan on keeping him. He's an asset and even if they can't afford him long term they can trade him later for picks and expiring contracts. Unrestricted free agency is an even bigger bust. Just look at Dallas. They put all their eggs in the Deron Williams casket and lost. Williams said he stayed with the Nets because they got JJ but the money difference between Dallas and Brooklin was huge.

Going forward the way to build a team is going to be smart free agent signings, draft picks and trades. IMO the Suns are off to a good start. So far this off season they've drafted a talented PG, acquired 4 draft picks and acquired 3 solid players with fairly reasonable contracts.

 

[Mainstreet]

Going forward the way to build a team is going to be smart free agent signings, draft picks and trades. IMO the Suns are off to a good start. So far this off season they've drafted a talented PG, acquired 4 draft picks and acquired 3 solid players with fairly reasonable contracts.

Agree. It's all about having the assets to make a move.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

I've been reading alot on this site about Morris and its 90% negative. I don't get it like at all. Every time I have seen him play I have been impressed including again today. For sure his defense inside is lacking but it's not Amare bad. Hes young and will improve but he's got skills to work with.

I guess I had low expectations going in, but for where we drafted him I LOVE the pick. I think he's a keeper. Looks like a young Rasheed Wallace to me.

 

[SweetD]

I've been reading alot on this site about Morris and its 90% negative. I don't get it like at all. Every time I have seen him play I have been impressed including again today. For sure his defense inside is lacking but it's not Amare bad. Hes young and will improve but he's got skills to work with.

I guess I had low expectations going in, but for where we drafted him I LOVE the pick. I think he's a keeper. Looks like a young Rasheed Wallace to me.

People also tend to forget they had no offseason/summer camp or really any time to practice and train last year. This is really his rookie year like most rookies from last year. The non starting rookies took the hit last year with the lockout.

 

[SweetD]

Looking at stats from last year (vs other qualified Rookies) Markieff was 15th in scoring per game 7.4, #19 in shooting % .399%, #9 in 3pt% .347%, #15th FT% .717%.

I would say being drafted #13 that is right about were he should be. Now there were some that did better but also some higher picks that did worse.

 

[Mainstreet]

I've been reading alot on this site about Morris and its 90% negative. I don't get it like at all. Every time I have seen him play I have been impressed including again today. For sure his defense inside is lacking but it's not Amare bad. Hes young and will improve but he's got skills to work with.

I guess I had low expectations going in, but for where we drafted him I LOVE the pick. I think he's a keeper. Looks like a young Rasheed Wallace to me.

IMO, the most limiting factor for Markieff Morris is that he has short arms. This effects his play both offensively and defensively when he plays inside. If he had longer arms he would have even more upside.

 

[Joe Mama]

I've been reading alot on this site about Morris and its 90% negative. I don't get it like at all. Every time I have seen him play I have been impressed including again today. For sure his defense inside is lacking but it's not Amare bad. Hes young and will improve but he's got skills to work with.

I guess I had low expectations going in, but for where we drafted him I LOVE the pick. I think he's a keeper. Looks like a young Rasheed Wallace to me.

he was the 13th pick and a downright terrible draft. I watched the entire game yesterday. Honestly wouldn't even let him shoot the ball in the next game. I would tell him to focus entirely on defense and rebounding. He looked like he didn't give two craps about it in that first game. I know he grabbed 9 rebounds, but he was constantly out of position and just did very little defensively. Yesterday he was every bit as bad as Amare Stoudemire defensively.

I liked the Garrett kid at point guard. What the hell is going on with Marshall? I heard it has something to do with getting his contract finished. I was pretty disappointed that he wasn't playing.

The New York Knicks have a terrible summer league team.

Joe

 

[ASUCHRIS]

I've been reading alot on this site about Morris and its 90% negative. I don't get it like at all. Every time I have seen him play I have been impressed including again today. For sure his defense inside is lacking but it's not Amare bad. Hes young and will improve but he's got skills to work with.

I guess I had low expectations going in, but for where we drafted him I LOVE the pick. I think he's a keeper. Looks like a young Rasheed Wallace to me.

AZ my man, gotta watch more games with him in it. Joe's analysis was spot on about his performance yesterday, and his play last year doesn't give me much more hope.

As a bench player, he did ok to start the year but never really made any effort to do anything inside. The couple times they tried to start him, he was awful, getting dominated on both ends.

He has neither the size, length, athleticism or basketball skills to be an effective interior player. He's effectively a Channing clone in terms of his skills at this point, but at least Channing doesn't have raptor arms.

For a guy that was brought in to bring toughness, defense and rebounding, Morris has been a disappointment. Hope he proves me wrong, I just don't see much room for growth.

 

[95pro]

could be worse, we didnt draft his brother.
btw, wtf is with the suns. they have another brother in the D league, eh i forgot his name but he's the brother of another in the nba

 

[Joe Mama]

AZ my man, gotta watch more games with him in it. Joe's analysis was spot on about his performance yesterday, and his play last year doesn't give me much more hope.

As a bench player, he did ok to start the year but never really made any effort to do anything inside. The couple times they tried to start him, he was awful, getting dominated on both ends.

He has neither the size, length, athleticism or basketball skills to be an effective interior player. He's effectively a Channing clone in terms of his skills at this point, but at least Channing doesn't have raptor arms.

For a guy that was brought in to bring toughness, defense and rebounding, Morris has been a disappointment. Hope he proves me wrong, I just don't see much room for growth.

Morris doesn't have raptor arms. He just doesn't have arms dangling to the floor and he is very average athletically. But his standing reach is pretty average for a power forward (all of them, not saying average for an All-Star or even a starter). I don't even have a problem with him being a face up power forward on offense (same with Frye). I don't think he will struggle in the post when he has the size advantage, and he can take the bigger defenders to the perimeter and shoot or take them off the dribble.

The problem with his defense had nothing to do with his size or athleticism. He was just lazy. It looked like he was going through the motions and could have cared less about defending somebody. If he had just applied some fundamental positioning and effort he could have pulled down 15 rebounds easily and prevented several second chance opportunities for the New York Knicks.

Joe

 

[Mainstreet]

I liked the Garrett kid at point guard.

He stuck out the most to me as well. Garrett is supposed to be a pure PG and at 6'4" these are hard to find. It's too early to tell, but I wonder if he could push Telfair.

DeShawn Sims also played well.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Morris doesn't have raptor arms. He just doesn't have arms dangling to the floor and he is very average athletically. But his standing reach is pretty average for a power forward (all of them, not saying average for an All-Star or even a starter). I don't even have a problem with him being a face up power forward on offense (same with Frye). I don't think he will struggle in the post when he has the size advantage, and he can take the bigger defenders to the perimeter and shoot or take them off the dribble.

The problem with his defense had nothing to do with his size or athleticism. He was just lazy. It looked like he was going through the motions and could have cared less about defending somebody. If he had just applied some fundamental positioning and effort he could have pulled down 15 rebounds easily and prevented several second chance opportunities for the New York Knicks.

Joe

This is true. His wingspan is 6-11 which is typical for his height. Usually wingspan is roughly the same as height. Its just that the NBA is full of long armed freaks.

I was a big fan of Faried going into last year's draft. Here is a rule of thumb scouts should look at. If college production is very good (with Faried he was a rebounding machine) and the athleticism would fit with that skill in the NBA (Faried has long arms and excellent leaping ability) the skill should translate to the NBA, regardless of the size of school attended.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

This is true. His wingspan is 6-11 which is typical for his height. Usually wingspan is roughly the same as height. Its just that the NBA is full of long armed freaks.

I was a big fan of Faried going into last year's draft. Here is a rule of thumb scouts should look at. If college production is very good (with Faried he was a rebounding machine) and the athleticism would fit with that skill in the NBA (Faried has long arms and excellent leaping ability) the skill should translate to the NBA, regardless of the size of school attended.

Agree with all of this...it's not that Morris has shorter arms than your average human, but in a league full of athletic and physical freaks, he's deficient.

Also agree with your take on Faried and expand that to Leonard. I like both better than Morris because both had at least one superior skill, which is what keeps guys in the NBA, not just being ok at a bunch of different things.

Joe - I was talking about his D generally, although I agree his effort was piss poor yesterday. As an overall defender, I don't see anything to get excited about. His foot speed isn't good, he's not particularly stout, and he's rarely going to affect shots with his length. Combine that with poor effort and instincts, and you'll get a defender that gets destroyed by starter quality talent, as he was last year.

I hope his instincts and effort improve on the defensive end, because physically, I just don't see much room for growth.

 

[Mainstreet]

It helps me to think of Markieff Morris and Kendall Marshall as career backups for the moment on reasonable contracts. If they prove to be more, I will be pleasantly surprised.

 

[SirStefan32]

It helps me to think of Markieff Morris and Kendall Marshall as career backups for the moment on reasonable contracts. If they prove to be more, I will be pleasantly surprised.

That's how I look at it as well. If the two #13 picks become good backups, I will be happy.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

I think he has a pretty smooth offensive game. I really like my Rasheed Wallace analogy as body type and stroke are sikmilar. Granted I wached all of 12 Suns games last year being they were never on nationally, but every time I watched him he was playing well inside, had a sweet jumper, and banging around the interior. He is a fouling machine but even though he is not the post guy I thought we were getting, I am very impressed with his offensive arsenal. I think he is aplus prosepct in terms of refined offensive game for his age and size.

Maybe im wrong but I bet hes going to dominate Summer league and become first big off bench (over Frye) this whole year.

I guess I like him for what he is. A solid guy off the bench in 2012 that Year 3 is starting PF and (potentially) averaging 18 a game with 7-8 boards. Maybe I am myopic but I think he is the best rookie we have drafted in awhile, Marshall nonwithstanding. I think he has that ability. He passes the eye test, although granted I think saw his 3 best games last year.

Guess well see!

 

[Cheesebeef]

I think he has a pretty smooth offensive game. I really like my Rasheed Wallace analogy as body type and stroke are sikmilar.

man, I really don't see the comparison. Morris is 6'9, while Sheed was a legit 6'11, not to mention an athletic freak who had springs in his legs, had extremely long arms and a nasty streak that I just don't see in Morris. Sheed also had a post-up game that I haven't seen from Morris.

I guess I like him for what he is. A solid guy off the bench in 2012 that Year 3 is starting PF and (potentially) averaging 18 a game with 7-8 boards.
Guess well see!

man, I would die of shock if he ever becomes an 18/8 guy.

 

[Mainstreet]

I would be more than happy if Morris' upside approached Drew Gooden.

 

[Covert Rain]

I think he has a pretty smooth offensive game. I really like my Rasheed Wallace analogy as body type and stroke are sikmilar. Granted I wached all of 12 Suns games last year being they were never on nationally, but every time I watched him he was playing well inside, had a sweet jumper, and banging around the interior. He is a fouling machine but even though he is not the post guy I thought we were getting, I am very impressed with his offensive arsenal. I think he is aplus prosepct in terms of refined offensive game for his age and size.

Maybe im wrong but I bet hes going to dominate Summer league and become first big off bench (over Frye) this whole year.

I guess I like him for what he is. A solid guy off the bench in 2012 that Year 3 is starting PF and (potentially) averaging 18 a game with 7-8 boards. Maybe I am myopic but I think he is the best rookie we have drafted in awhile, Marshall nonwithstanding. I think he has that ability. He passes the eye test, although granted I think saw his 3 best games last year.

Guess well see!

Not seeing it and it's in insult to Rasheed Wallace.