Phoenix Suns: Markieff Morris Quietly Filling His Role
Let’s forget about last night’s ugly loss to the Houston Rockets for a second.
For the first few weeks of the season, all eyes have been on the backcourt for the Phoenix Suns. Goran Dragic struggled early and is finally finding his rhythm. Eric Bledsoe has been brilliant in flashes and way too turnover-prone at other times. Isaiah Thomas has been a source of instant offense but he’s been out with an ankle injury.
We know all of this already.
But when it comes to the frontcourt, the focus of that discussion has been centered around whether or not Alex Len should start over Miles Plumlee (which, for the record, he totally should). Lost in the shuffle of all of this is Markieff Morris, who has quietly been an unsung hero for this 12-9 team that currently holds the eighth spot in the loaded West..
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We’re going to ignore last night’s dismal four-point, 2-for-14 performance against the Rockets for the time being, because nobody played particularly well on the second night of a road back-to-back against an elite Western team. But even his struggles last night showed how vital his play has become for this playoff-hopeful squad.
Before last night’s game, Morris was averaging 15.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.4 blocks per game — all career highs. He’s shooting 48.3 percent from the field, 0.5 percent less than the career high he set last season.
In fact, the only bad aspect of Keef’s game so far this season has been his three-point shooting (23.4 percent). With Channing Frye no longer around to spread the floor, Morris has had to step in as a pick and pop three-point threat, which explains why he’s attempting a career-high 2.4 threes per game.
He’s struggled to adapt to that part of his new role, but other than that he’s been excellent. He’s shooting a career high 53.8 percent on his two-point shots and he’s converting nearly 58 percent of his looks from 14 feet in. He’s vastly evolved as a passer, twice finishing three assists shy of a triple-double this year. Before last night, the Suns were 6.3 points better with him on the floor, per NBA.com.
I’ve made plenty of arguments that when Dragic is the best player on the floor, Phoenix is the best team it’s capable of being. But when Morris is quietly putting up his numbers, the Suns are a lot more likely to find success as well.
In wins, Markieff Morris is averaging 16.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while shooting 49.7 percent from the floor. In losses, those numbers drop to 12.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game on 43 percent shooting. It’s not a steep drop-off, but it’s noticeable enough to take our eyes off the continuous backcourt drama that seems to dominate any and all discussion about the Suns these days.
Through 21 games, Morris has five double-doubles on the season after registering 11 for the entire 2013-14 season last year. He’s adjusting well to his new starting role after finishing fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting last season and though three-point shooting isn’t his forte, it’s an area of his game he should be able to improve as the year progresses.
When the Suns go small with Keef at center, they’re obviously giving up a lot defensively. Morris is an improving rebounder, but he’s not much of a rim protector and he’s often not quite strong enough to hold his own against the bigger power forwards of the Western Conference. But with his post footwork and his ability to knock down midrange jumpers, he usually makes up for it on the other end.
If Len is able to grow into a rim-protecting center, Morris’ defensive inadequacies won’t stand out quite as much. That can only be good news for a guy who, up to this point in the season, is an unsung hero of this Phoenix Suns team.
Ignoring last night’s ugly loss to the Rockets, of course.