Markieff Morris lives between two worlds. So does his brother Marcus. At least, that’s what the scouting reports read coming from the NBA Draft Combine as well as other sources concerning the NBA Draft possibilities for the star forwards from Kansas.
Some might contend that arguing over length of reach when it comes down to an inch or two is going overboard in draft analysis, and perhaps that’s the case. Yet that doesn’t stop NFL scouts from discussing tenths of a second on a 40-yard dash or NBA scouts from discussing wing span. Thus, the Marcus and Markieff find themselves under a microscope they might not have expected — and consequently having to defend themselves when their on-court abilities should speak loud enough for a team interested in their services.
Yet no one is doubting their abilities in college, but rather at what position those abilities will translate to on the court. The NBA Is a different game and the more a team can project a player at a specific position, the better they’ll feel about choosing him. Chad Ford recently remarked on this when discussing the Morris brothers’ workout at the NBA Draft Combine over the weekend. Specifically he writes:
Lots of debate here about Marcus and Markieff Morris. Both players measured OK. Marcus was 6-9 with an 8-10 reach. His brother was 6-9 with an 8-11 reach. Markieff clearly fits the profile of a stretch 4. Marcus is right on the borderline right now. He’s been insisting in interviews that he’s a 3, but not every team is buying it. It will be interesting to see how it ultimately affects his stock. The Bobcats, Bucks, Warriors, Jazz and Pacers all have interest in him.
In the end, it’s lots of interest paired with lots of questions, which makes it incredible difficult to tell exactly where either one of the Morris twins will end up come NBA Draft day.