The Houston Rockets certainly hope that ESPN's David Thorpe is right. The longtime writer of the Rookie Report says that he believes former Kansas Jayhawks forward Marcus Morris will be a major force in the NBA this season given his skill set and what the Rockets need. That's good news for not only the team but the brother who often stood in the shadow of his twin, Markieff.
Thorpe writes, "Let me begin by telling you that I rarely think guys can go from power forward to small forward in the NBA. But Morris says he's been a 3 his whole career except for his time at Kansas, where they needed him to play down low more. After seeing him play in May, I'm convinced he's a small forward, but more of what I like to call a "power small forward" -- he can hurt defenders down low and on the glass. He's also a scorer with range and toughness. Given the Rockets' roster, he should be able to get minutes at the 3 or 4 and might even crack the starting lineup."
Markieff himself makes the honorable mention and Thorpe comments, "We rarely see big guys enter the NBA shooting the 3 well, but in time Morris will show us that he can rebound and defend in addition to shooting the 3-ball. Those three skills will earn him solid rotation minutes."
Tristan Thompson and Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers are the top two on the list.