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Detroit Pistons: Betting on the recovery of Markieff Morris

By Joseph Wooley

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 18: Markieff Morris #5 of the Washington Wizards shoots over Al-Farouq Aminu #8 of the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half at Capital One Arena on November 18, 2018 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 18: Markieff Morris #5 of the Washington Wizards shoots over Al-Farouq Aminu #8 of the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half at Capital One Arena on November 18, 2018 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
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The Detroit Pistons added more depth to their frontcourt by signing power forward, Markieff Morris, to a two-year deal worth $7.4 million. If that name sounds familiar, it is because his twin brother, Marcus, played two seasons in Detroit, just two years ago.

During his two seasons in Detroit, Marcus Morris was probably the most consistent player on the court for the Detroit Pistons. It was sad to see him go, but–in a roundabout way–the Pistons turned his asset into Blake Griffin. It is hard not to think of Marcus, now that the Pistons have signed his twin brother, Markieff.

While Marcus has been flourishing with his new team, the Celtics, albeit in limited minutes, Markieff Morris has taken a step back in the last couple seasons. Beginning with a neck injury which shortened his 2019, Markieff moved from Washington to Oklahoma City, and his production took a dive. There is no reason to think, however, he will not bounce back in Detroit. In fact, there are signs he could return to the level of his better seasons.

What is the most the Pistons can hope for out of Morris? Markieff is a big man who is not afraid to shoot from beyond the arc. He is primarily a catch-and-shoot scorer. Compared with other Pistons’ forwards in this respect, Markieff is closer to Thon Maker than Griffin. As a result, Morris takes a lot of shots, and luckily, many of them go in. He is a career 45% shooter (34% from three). These numbers will not lead all Pistons, but it is a good sign for a shooting frontcourt.

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Defensively, Morris is a solid rebounder, averaging 5.5 a game in his career. Even more impressive, though, are his forced turnovers. An average season would see him second only to Andre Drummond in steals and blocks. He is a starter-caliber player, but he will make a nice bench option backing up Griffin.

Unfortunately, Morris’s 2019 campaign saw regressions in almost every category, following injury and relocation. He was already showing improvement, though, by the end of the season. In the month of April–a small sample size, to be fair–Morris averaged 18 minutes and 9 points off the bench. He saw some limited playoff experience as well. If this improvement is any indication, Morris may be ready to return to form.

Morris’s best seasons were his first four and a half with the Suns. During that time, he was every bit as good of a defender as his brother and an even better scorer. In Washington, Morris saw more minutes, and thus, more points and rebounds. Right up until his neck injury, Morris was worth $8 million a year. Ed Stefanski was able to get him for a little over $3.5 million. This is yet another keen move in an already impressive offseason.

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Markieff Morris is not a sure thing. Coming back from a shortened season is never easy. But the fact remains, the Detroit Pistons were able to get a proven forward at a reasonable price in a rich NBA offseason.

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