The Los Angeles Lakers’ decision to re-sign Markieff Morris further solidifies an already impressive frontcourt.
The Los Angeles Lakers have once again bested their locker room rival Los Angeles Clippers. Despite multiple reports that the Clippers were in the mix to pull Markieff Morris away from the Lakers, the latter team won the battle on Monday by re-signing the younger Morris brother.
ESPN was on top of reporting the news once they caught wind of it. They were also quick to make note of a tweet Markieff blasted out considering his decision to re-sign with the Lakers.
Run it back! #Lakeshow
— Keef Morris (@Keefmorris) November 23, 2020
Morris’ tweet is extremely fitting, as it hints at the Lakers’ main goal this upcoming season. Their ambition is to indeed “run it back,” which, in other words, is to say that they hope to defend their title.
While some reports suggested Markieff was mulling over joining the Clippers and therefore his twin brother, Marcus, the former’s intentions have been made perfectly clear. He wants a shot to repeat and this is bound to make Lakers’ fans happy campers.
As Ron Gutterman of Lakers Nation observed, Morris is reuniting with the Lakers after being rather “impactful” for them in the postseason. He originally became a member of the Lakers not too long before the coronavirus pandemic put basketball on hold.
As ESPN reminded us, Morris was with the Detroit Pistons prior to donning the purple and gold. Given that the Pistons were out of the hunt in February, they chose to buyout Markieff’s contract and the Lakers quickly took advantage of the opportunity. The rest is history as they say.
Morris’ numbers with the Lakers may look modest at first glimpse. For instance, during his time with the team in the regular season, he posted averages of 5.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.6 assists spread across 14 games.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the younger Morris brother proved to be a pivotal piece in the Lakers’ championship run. As Gutterman indicated, Morris demonstrated his worth by being a more than serviceable stretch big for L.A., while being versatile enough to guard more than one position.
Via Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors, Morris shot nearly 45 percent from the field for L.A. during the postseason. He especially shined brightly from the perimeter throughout that same stretch, tallying a 42 percent clip from said distance.
Beyond the shadow of a doubt, Lakers’ fans are hoping Morris can provide more of the same for them in the time to come. Granted he has shot the long ball at a more modest rate of 34.5 percent throughout his career (via Joseph Zucker of Bleacher Report), Morris is a big enough threat to keep the opposition on their toes.
It is important to be mindful of the following when thinking about Morris’ shooting, too. Superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis are going to present enough issues for opposing defenses as it is. On account of that, it is safe to assume players like Morris will get ample open looks from outside.
While he certainly carries value on the offensive side of the ball, Markieff proved to be a key piece when it came to the Lakers’ defensive schemes. As Zucker revealed, it is valid that the veteran is not a prototypical big man in being only 6-foot-8. However, Morris is big enough to where he can make life harder for the opposition, especially if they opt to not use a traditional center of their own.
This makes Morris a perfect piece if the Lakers want to play their own style of “small ball,” granted they are versatile enough to go big with AD and the addition of Marc Gasol. It gives them options to tinker with, which grants them a distinct advantage.
The Lakers are also fortunate enough for another reason. Let alone them continuing to add depth, they did so at a bargain price. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (per transcription from Harrison Faigen of Silver Screen & Roll), Morris was willing to accept the minimum to stay with the Lakers.
Free agent Markieff Morris has agreed to a minimum deal to return to the Los Angeles Lakers, source tells @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 23, 2020
As Faigen pointed out, Markieff could have chased the money and it would have been more than understandable. For what it is worth, the Clippers would have been able to grant Morris with a slightly fatter offer.
Conversely, due to the L.A. team Morris picked, he now possesses the power to reject any trade involving him. Adams shared this piece of information in his piece, granted it was originally produced by Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
Markieff by virtue of a 1-yr deal with the Lakers is considered One 1-Year Bird and has an implicit no-trade this season
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) November 23, 2020
Morris’ decision to re-sign with the Lakers, though, shows his commitment to winning and that he values that above money. It would have made just as much sense if he decided to play alongside his sibling as well, but to use his vernacular, he wants a chance to “run it back.”
Frankly, it is tough to blame the younger Morris twin for his decision. The Lakers look great on paper right now and their frontcourt should be something to behold. In addition to their stars and Gasol, the team managed to land the Sixth Man of the Year in Montrezl Harrell.
On that note, granted nothing is ever a given in sports, the Lakers definitely have the look of a group that could do it again. Re-signing Morris only improves those odds by virtue of giving the Lakers an even deeper rotation down low.
Moreover, it is worth mentioning the type of player Morris is. He is one of the tougher ones the league has to offer and is not going to shy away from a challenge. Every team needs a player or two with that makeup instilled within them.
What is nice about Morris, too, is that he knows his role in having already been a Laker. He is not of the caliber that demands the spotlight, and that component alone makes him a great backup player. All of these features in combination make the re-signing of Morris an excellent decision on the Lakers’ part.