How Markieff Morris will impact the Detroit Pistons

Markieff Morris will be a critical piece as the Detroit Pistons look to improve on last season’s playoff appearance, the team’s second in four years.

It’s probably safe to assume Markieff Morris won’t be an everyday starter for the Pistons this season. Unless, and this seems like a worst case scenario, he is thrusted into the small forward spot that appears somewhat open.

But whatever his role ends up being, one thing seems certain. Morris wasn’t brought in to to be a veteran locker room presence who rides the pine and mentors young players.

He is going to play and he’s expected to have an impact on the court.

At 6-foot-10, 245 pounds with a game that extends to the 3-point line, Morris could be the backup forward option the Pistons have lacked in Blake Griffin’s short time with the team.
For as much as the Pistons rely on their front court, their haven’t had any consistent options when Andre Drummond or Griffin sit.

Morris could be the player who allows the Pistons’ bigs to sit, while keeping the second unit afloat. That’s not to suggest that Morris is the kind of player who lifts an average team into a contender. That’s not going to happen. And no one is expecting that.

But with a career average of 11.6 points per game on 33.8 percent shooting from 3-point range, Morris is a significant upgrade from the bench bigs the Pistons have deployed in the last two seasons.
Morris, who turns 30 in September and signed the two-year, bi-annual exemption at $3.6 million per season, would ideally be the first big off the bench for Detroit and could slide into either the center or power forward spot depending on matchups and foul trouble.

If paired with Griffin, he would provide enough spacing – his 3-point ability is good enough to keep defenders honest – to let Griffin bully his way into the lane and draw defenders.
And maybe his most important impact?

Letting Griffin rest.

So much of Detroit’s success rested on Griffin last season and you have to wonder if the 30-year-old can take another season playing that many minutes.

Morris, especially if he can recapture the scoring efficiency of his first two seasons in Washington, could be a spot starter when Griffin has to sit for load management. If Detroit is serious about building around Blake, which is their only option at this point, they are going to have to get serious about managing his minutes. It showed towards the end of last season and it was evident when he hobbled into the Milwaukee Bucks series.

In his two seasons as a full-time starter in Washington, Morris shot over 36 percent from deep and averaged 14 and 11.5 points per game.

If he can recapture those kind of numbers, he would be a viable backup to Griffin. Especially on the offensive end, where the Pistons nose-dived when he sat.

Morris has the ability to work out of the post and beyond the arc. He also would fare better against bigger forwards on defense than Thon Maker, who has had his struggles with more physical post players. 

Morris probably won’t be the player the Pistons turn to down the stretch to close out games. But his ability to score with his back to the basket and beyond the arc makes him an intriguing option.

Morris’ versatility could also unlock a plethora of lineup options.

He could give the Pistons the chance to go really big, somewhat like the 76ers. Detroit could roll out a unit that features Reggie Jackson and Luke Kennard at the guard spots, with Morris at the small forward next to Griffin and Drummond.

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At least rebounding won’t be an issue.

I’m not sure if this would be an ideal fit, but the East has plenty of teams (76ers, Bucks, Raptors) who will play big lineups. Lineup options are a good thing, and a player like Morris could unlock a few new ones.

It’s still unclear what role Dwayne Casey has envisioned for Morris, but it would seem like the veteran coach would be intrigued by a player who is versatile and has an edge. 

Morris also has a long standing relationship with Piston legend Rasheed Wallace. A relationship he has used to his advantage.

Morris is also at a bit of a crossroads in his career. After starting for two seasons in Washington he saw his minutes – and production – take a hit last season. He battled neck injuries last year before eventually getting traded to Pelicans who released him.

The Thunder scooped him up for the stretch run, but he didn’t have a huge impact in OKC.

Maybe he could view Detroit as a place to get his health and career back on track. And with the lack of front court depth on the roster, he will definitely get a chance to prove himself.