Oklahoma City Thunder: 3 ways Markieff Morris can help the team

3. He brings toughness and grit

On every championship-level team, there’s always that one player who’s not going to back down from anybody. I don’t care if you’re Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant or James Harden, he won’t be scared today, tomorrow or the next day.

Being intimidated and shrinking back in fear doesn’t run in their veins at all. It’s foreign to such a player. It’s unfamiliar territory.

You need a player like that, plain and simple. Markieff Morris fits the bill.

If you go at him, he’s going to go at you. If you talk trash, he’s going to talk it right back. If you want to throw hands, he’s going to throw hands too.

He has no problem getting all in your face and calling you names that aren’t fit for the FCC airwaves, or for this website for that matter. He has no problem knocking you on your butt and committing a hard foul.

He has guts, and he’s not some scrub using ridiculous antics either. If that were the case, he wouldn’t be respected around the league.

Don’t get it twisted. The brother can ball.

You can’t teach toughness. You can’t teach grit or heart. It’s something you’re born with. Something that’s deep down inside of you. Morris brings those type of intangibles to the team.

That veteran grit and toughness off the bench will be extremely beneficial for the Thunder.