Getty Oklahoma City Thunder forward Markieff Morris
The Oklahoma City Thunder were able to complete a push to land free-agent forward Markieff Morris ahead of the NBA All-Star break, and fans are anxiously awaiting his debut. Morris will provide a nice boost in the frontcourt for the Thunder when he’s able to suit up, but the exact timeline of that remains in question.
Morris began the year with the Washington Wizards but was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans after missing extended time due to a neck injury. The Pelicans proceeded to waive the 29-year-old leaving him a tough decision as a free agent. Multiple teams reportedly had interest, and The Athletic’s Shams Charania first reported that the Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets were among teams interested in Morris.
The talented forward chose to team up with Russell Westbrook and Paul George, adding another intriguing piece to the mix. While Morris’ debut may or may not come Friday, we’ll evaluate the latest on his status for the game against the Utah Jazz. From there, we’re also going to breakdown the Thunder roster and starting lineup for the game.
Latest on Markieff Morris Injury & Thunder Debut
UPDATE: Markieff Morris is available for the Thunder on Friday.
While with the Wizards, Morris was slated to miss at least six weeks due to the neck injury suffered, but as previously mentioned, the team opted to move him prior to the deadline. As far as his status goes and potential return from injury, it’s a mixture of good and bad news.
Thunder coach Billy Donovan didn’t address if Morris would play in Friday’s game, but The Athletic’s Brett Dawson detailed that the forward has been getting full practices in.
Morris should make a solid impact on both ends of the floor, and prior to the trade was averaging 26.0 minutes over 34 games with Washington. In that span, he posted marks of 11.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and shot 43.6 percent from the field. That field goal percentage was the lowest it’s been since joining Wizards, as he’s shot 45.7 percent or better in the three other seasons.
Thunder Roster & Starting Lineup vs. Jazz
*Notates expected starter
C: Steven Adams*, Nerlens Noel
PF: Jerami Grant*, Markieff Morris, Patrick Patterson, Donte Grantham
SF: Paul George*, Abdel Nader, Deonte Burton
SG: Terrance Ferguson*, Hamidou Diallo, Scotty Hopson
PG: Russell Westbrook*, Dennis Schroder, Raymond Felton
Even if Morris does suit up, it’s unknown how things will shake out between him and Jerami Grant in terms of who will start. At least in the early stages, it’s likely that Grant will continue to start as Morris gets eased into action. Grant has played well this season and averaged over 14.0 points in each of the past two months.
Regardless of who comes off the bench between the two, the Thunder’s second unit improved quite a bit with this signing. Morris and Grant will both be able to provide a spark in whichever role they receive, and Oklahoma City’s postseason stock is certainly pointing upward at this point.
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