Markieff Morris and Experimenting in the Kitchen
Up until this point, the Lakers have hung their hats on team chemistry all season with great results. But how will they react with their first taste of the shuffling of ingredients?
Welcome to issue #3 of Throwdowns.
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I am in no means a good cook. There are staples, of course, that I can rely on when need be. Pasta, chicken and rice. A whole lot of rice.
These dishes, and their slightly alternated versions, have served me well in my lifetime. But in the instances in which I have ventured out and either added a new ingredient — or dared to make something new — the results have been overwhelmingly mixed.
There was the Valentines Day when I tasked myself with making vegan red velvet cupcakes for my girlfriend. Those were a thankfully a hit (at least she said so outwardly). But there was also my attempt at homemade Arroz con Leche. Which thanks to too much salt, was neither a hit or edible.
The intricacies of the workings of a kitchen are immense. A dash of vanilla here or a pinch of nutmeg there can severely make or break a dish. This is comparable of course, as is almost everything to basketball and team construction.
In the first issue of this newsletter, I wrote about the Lakers’ quiet trade deadline and the corresponding weeks of navigating the buyout market. As more and more names have begun to fly off the shelves like they were marked down crock-pots on Black Friday since then, the team decided to grab their own.
And with it, presents their first taste in experimenting with what has been a reliable recipe.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the team has officially signed Markieff Morris after negotiating a buyout with the Detroit Pistons and clearing waivers Sunday afternoon. In a corresponding move, the Lakers have released DeMarcus Cousins, who is expected to still be around the team as he continues to rehab.
Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images
At 43-12, the Lakers were smart to not be complacent when a chance at improving their roster presented itself. While they have proven to be one of, if not the favorite to win it all this year, it has been displayed to them during their multiple encounters with elite competition that they still need tinkering.
In terms of what Morris can provide, there are enough interesting data points to be cautiously optimistic of his inclusion.
He is not not going to magically solve the team’s void of a reliable perimeter defender that they have sorely missed against the likes of Kawhi Leonard and Jayson Tatum. But, he is in the very least an extra body. A rather big one at that.
At 6’8” Morris will join only LeBron James and Kyle Kuzma as the current “non-big” Lakers on the roster who are at least 6’7” An aspect of this team that has noticeably been exposed on several instances. The latest example coming during a Sunday matinee which saw the aforementioned Tatum pour in 41.
In an attempt to steer away from being tagged with the dreaded “soft” label, the team will also benefit from simply having another option on the club with the added size — and toughness — that Morris can provide. Something he himself has promoted in the past:
"Some teams don't like the physical play. Some people don't like being fouled hard. At the end of the day, it's a physical sport. It's a man's sport. We're going to do the right things and we're not trying to hurt anybody, but sometimes you're going to have to pay for getting into the paint. We just want to make you feel us more."
On offense, Morris has seen radical improvements posting career shooting numbers (eFG% 3-point percentage and points per shot attempt) with Detroit this year. This may be largely related to a tinkered shot profile, which also suggests he can slot in nicely beside either James or Anthony Davis.
Via: NBA Shotcharts
On the year, Morris has a career high moreyball rate (percentage of shots coming either at the rim or from three) of 72.2% His previous best was 66.4%
This change, coupled with also being assisted on his makes more than any other season, signals an ability to play off of others. Something he will get much more chances to do next to the Lakers’ stars, and also could mean he improves even further.
Potentially the biggest area where Morris can help however, is by simply helping slot players in more appropriate spots. It has already been reported that the signing would open up some more minutes for Kyle Kuzma on the wing where he may be better suited as opposed to needing to check front court players.
Morris’ inclusion may also mean the end of the 3-guard bench lineup of Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, which on the season has a defRTG of 121.2. Yikes.
In a vacuum, the signing makes logistical sense given the team’s roster constraints and the fact that they did not need to part with any assets. There does however present the possibility or rupturing what has been the team’s biggest strength so far — chemistry.
As one of the most tight-knit Lakers’ squads in recent memory, the roster has seen no shakeup since it’s inception until this moment.
Questions will undoubtedly arise like how will players react to a change in minutes/getting dropped out of the rotation altogether? will the fit actually work? and will the inclusion of a foreign ingredient spoil what has been an exceptional year?
The answers to those questions and others will soon be given when Morris suits up. And while there is always that potential risk present whenever making a change to a roster 55 games into a season, the upside is likely worth the gamble.
Morris should not be looked upon as a savior or multi-purpose solution, but rather a quick-fix that could possibly mask the issues on the team when they need it the most.
A 6’8” and 245 pound change to the recipe that just might work.
This has been Throwdowns. If you have any questions, concerns, feedback or want to send me recent work for consideration in future “recommended reading” installments, feel free to email me: Alexm.regla@gmail.com. As always, thank you.