Washington Wizards fans grew to love Markieff Morris over the course of the season. He was the team’s loudest player, most volatile, and an ongoing team leader. He certainly had his struggles, mainly with foul trouble, but he was a key reason why the team won its most games since 1979.
Regular Season Stats: 76 Games, 14.0 PPG (45.7 FG%, 36.3 3P%), 6.5 RPG, 0.6 BPG, 1.1 SPG, 28.7 MPG
Playoff Stats: 13 Games, 12.1 PPG (40.7 FG%, 36.8 3P%), 6.4 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 0.9 SPG 28.7 MPG
Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be posting individual player reviews for the guys that ended the season in a Washington Wizards uniform. So far we’ve reviewed:
Markieff Morris‘ first season as a Wizards was a mostly positive affair. As he improved, so did the team.
As was the case with most of the team, Morris got off to a poor start to the season. In 15 November games he shot 37.9% from the floor and averaged 12.4 points per game.
In 14 December games, he improved his field goal percentage greatly (up to 46.3%), but still only averaged 12.7 points per game. Watching the offensive action, he still seemed to be getting used to his new teammates and the coaching staff.
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Morris, the newest member of the Wizards’ starting lineup, came over to Washington in a trade before the 2016 trade deadline. He didn’t have much time to integrate himself, as there were only 30 or so games left in the season, and the team didn’t make the playoffs.
The trade seemingly gave Washington a competent stretch four, on a very team friendly contract, who didn’t need the ball for long to do damage. Yet, by January 4th the team was 16-18, and debate had swirled about whether the Wizards should trade John Wall, its only All-Star.
After January 4th though, something changed. Firstly, Morris averaged 17.3 points that month. He only shot two percent better than December, but the Wizards were able to get him more shots, and more high percentage shots. If I remember correctly, this seemed like the starting point of the popular Wall to Morris alley oop.
In January, I wrote an article discussing Morris’ improvements and how they positively affected the Wizards’ performance. In January he also shot 41% from three, helping Washington to maintain the necessary spacing on the court.
His February was very similar to his January, and the team began humming, but not at the perfect time. Washington went into the All-Star break 34-21, having won 18 of its last 21 games.
Although Morris was playing the best basketball of his career, the long layoff from the All-Star break was not good for the heart of the team. Morris averaged only 10 points per game in March, and Washington went 9-7 in the month.
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Despite his ups and downs, his fans and teammates knew what Morris would bring to the court on a nightly basis. He brought heart, passion, leadership, and unfortunately a penchant for fouling and getting technicals. I still can’t believe Wall ended up with more technicals than Morris.
Every team needs an enforcer, and Morris was that for Washington. But he didn’t only enforce, he hit some clutch shots for the team. Even one that shouldn’t have counted in the first place.
Morris never tried to do too much, a positive for a team with plenty of offensive firepower. Yet, when he was hitting he was a force. Morris led the team in scoring a few times during the season, and once comfortable, was not shy to shoot when needed.
In the playoffs, he was surprisingly up and down, but part of that had to do with it being his first playoff experience. Still, the team really could have benefited from having the same Morris from January and December.
In the playoffs Morris had beef with Paul Millsap in round one, and beef with Al Horford in round two, after Horford undercut him in Game 1.
After Morris’ ankle injury, the Wizards fell apart, and ended up losing a game in which they had a huge 1st quarter team. With Morris and Ian Mahinmi out of the lineup, Boston took advantaged of Washington’s lack of depth. Washington lost the game, and ultimately its best chance at winning a road game in the series.
Besides his ankle injury, Morris struggled in the playoffs because of his inability to stay on the court. He routinely picked up his second foul midway through the first quarter, causing Brooks to change his rotations. When the Wizards were rolling in the regular season, Morris started the second half at center, but his foul trouble limited the team’s ability to use that small lineup.
Unless Washington acquires an All-Star level power forward, Morris is likely the answer for the immediate future. Morris will be making just over $8 million a year for the next two season, before being an unrestricted free agent in 2019. He’ll be 28 at the start of next season and has plenty of room for improvement.
Grade: B
Next: Am I Rooting for a Team That Can't Win the Championship
Morris should benefit from a full year with this group of teammates, and becoming comfortable in his role. Now we just have to pray that he can limit his foul trouble…