Grantland has shared the love for the top NBA rookies all throughout the 2011-12 season, and Sebastian Pruiti finally put together his top ten for the season recently with a column led by Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers. With other familiar names like Ricky Rubio on the list, it's a great read, but KU basketball fans should especially be interested in Markieff Morris' name among the featured:
For a while, Morris was one of the most efficient spot-up shooters in the NBA. That performance predictably dropped, but Morris is still a very good scorer in catch-and-shoot situations. According to Synergy Sports, he posts 1.021 points per possession on spot-up jumpers, which places him in the NBA's 71st percentile. Playing with Steve Nash no doubt helps Morris make the most of his open looks, but Morris also does good job of setting up his shot with a variety of moves. He can hit the jumper right off the catch if his defender plays off him, but he can also making a nice head fake and drive. That ability to mix things up keeps defenders guessing and allows Morris to have success.
Morris averaged 7.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in his rookie year.