Getty Markieff Morris and Caleb Martin of the Miami Heat box out Jahlil Okafor during a game against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Golden State Warriors‘ dual-timeline strategy has officially reached its next phase as some key free-agent departures have cleared the path to playing time for Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and the rest of the youngsters.
Considering the sheer potential of the team’s former lottery picks, it’s a transition that had to be made — and sooner rather than later. There’s no question, though, that the Dubs have lost at least a part of their championship heart in embracing the new.
So, in order to successfully defend their title next season, some additional assembly may be required. Specifically, the club could probably use more of a veteran presence in the second unit; players that have been there and done that as part of a winning program.
In conversation with Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney, a league executive identified one player who would bring exactly that to the Warriors.
NBA Champ Adds ‘Size, Experience’ & Something Extra
While the free-agent pool is growing more shallow by the day in terms of difference-makers, the wily veteran contingent is still well represented. And one such player who could be an option for Golden State is forward Markieff Morris.
As it happens, the aforementioned exec envisions Morris fulfilling a role with his next team that sounds very close to what the Warriors did with Otto Porter Jr last season.
“If you’re signing Markieff at this point you’re doing it because you need that toughness that he brings, that grit. He can fill any role. He can start, he can come off the bench, he is going to be professional about it at this point. He is a good option as a small-ball center, the Laker used him that way in the bubble and it worked.”
The exec also namechecked the Dubs as a potential landing spot for the 11-year vet.
“The Warriors, I like him there. They lost some size and some experience in free agency, he can replace that. And they would like a bit of his attitude there.”
More importantly, the Warriors would be adding those things without taking too much time away from their prospects.
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The one question the exec had about Morris pertained to his outside shooting. “He will be 33 years old, he just wants to win. The big concern is, can he hit the three consistently? That’s been the question with him.”
Unfortunately, last season doesn’t really provide us any answers on that front.
For the year, Morris connected on 33.3% of his three-point attempts, which is a little below where you’d like him to be as a player that defenses have to at least think about guarding on the perimeter. However, it’s difficult to place much stock in the season because he lost so much of it as a result of his early-year run-in with Nikola Jokic.
Had he not been cheap-shotted by Jokic, had he been right physically and had he played for the entirety of the campaign, might he have been the consistent frontcourt deep threat/floor-spacer Miami lacked? We’ll never know.
For his career, he’s at just 34.1% from deep. However, he was a 38.6% shooter from behind the arc during the 2019-20 campaign, which ended with him winning a title with the Lakers. And in the Bay Area, the gravity of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole and others could serve to bolster his shooting efficacy.
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