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David Thorpe: Marcus Morris can play (the three) !

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by HMMMHMM, Jun 25, 2011.

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HMMMHMM Contributing Member

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Via Feigen's latest blog post:

“I definitely, typically fall in love with my players. I don’t think I lose objectivity, but I’m always accused of it. In this case, he spent just a week in my gym. It was just a glimpse. It’s not like we’re buddies. I feel like I’m 100 percent objective based on the fact I had him for six days.

“I was skeptical before Day 1 when his high school coach (Dan Brinkley) who is one of his managers and his agents were telling me he is a three. I said, ‘So many times we hear about these guys who think they’re small forwards, who played power forward and think it is so easy to move down. It so rarely works. And I’m skeptical.’ But he’s been a small forward his whole life. He was a three in Philadelphia when they won back-to-back city championships. He goes to Kansas and they wanted to move him to power forward to make room for Xavier Henry.

“For the team, Marcus said, ‘Sure, if it’s better for the team, I’ll play the four.’ Xavier Henry comes and plays the three. Because Marcus was so good playing the four, they left him there.

“Marcus was the no. 1 points per possession in the post player in the entire draft. That tells you can score in the low post.

“When he was with me, we did everything as a small forward because I wanted to evaluate whether he could handle that position. What I believe is, while there is a need to be quick and fast and agile to play small forward in the NBA, having that doesn’t mean he could be an average to a plus defender. It’s not just physical ability that allows you to defend NBA small forwards. You have to have mental agility. You have to have a comfort level with defending out in open space. That comes with experience. When you tell me you’ve been a three your whole life, in a city like Philadelphia, some of the best basketball in the country, and you’ve been defending basically guards, you have that mental agility.

“You’re used to going over and under screens, guarding the guard, not the big, flying down the floor to defend shooters, having to defend herky-jerk ball handlers. You are comfortable doing it because you’ve done it before.

“What I saw the week with Marcus was exactly that. He’s very comfortable out on the floor in space on both ends. That’s because it is what he has always done.

“He has a fantastic looking 3-point shot. As he shoots more and more of it, he’ll be a strong player in that regard. I think he will be a 38 to 42 percent 3-point shooter. He’s very good coming off pin downs, very good coming off flares and other cross screens on the perimeter. At 6-8, he’s not an easy guy to close out on. And he’s very good at shot-fake attacking you when you do. He gets his hips down. He needs to get his hips down lower, but he can fake and get by people.

“He’s a very tough minded kid. The thing I liked about him was his ambition to be great. This is a guy who wants to be great. I would not say that about a lot of guys I’ve trained. A lot of guys want to get drafted. Marcus wants to be the best player on his team. I think he has the potential to be close.

“Now, you factor in that he is a prolific low post scorer and you start thinking about the match up problems of threes trying to defend this cat in the low post. And you start thinking you have the most efficient scoring shooting guard in basketball on one wing and you have a 6-8, tough, rebounding, athletic, defensive-minded, elite scorer who can post up and shoot outside. You have Kevin’s ability shooting and getting to the line, and Marcus’ ability to hit outside shots and score paint buckets. You are talking about a team already No. 1 in offense last year after the trade, I think this is an upgrade.

“I thought he was a top five or six talent as a three. I think he played three at Kansas, he would have been even better than he was. I think he’s got the size and strength to defend elite small forwards. I’m not telling you he’s going to shut them down, but he’s not going to be a fun guy to defend on the other end because he’s going to post those guys up. That wears a guy down when you have to defend a guy like that.

“I think Patrick Patterson was the steal of the draft last year and I think Marcus Morris has absolutely the potential to be the same, with toughness and rebounding, too.

“He was super professional always early, took stretching seriously, lifting seriously, working seriously. He’s even more motivated now.

“He’s a home run.”
Click to expand...

http://blog.chron.com/nba/2011/06/a...aft-including-an-early-morning-home-run-call/

#1 HMMMHMM, Jun 25, 2011

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jopatmc Contributing Member

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Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice!

Still waiting for my scouting job.

#2 jopatmc, Jun 25, 2011
MrButtocks Contributing Member

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Well that certainly has me pumped.

#3 MrButtocks, Jun 25, 2011
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"He is a home run".

David Thorpe talking about Morris' ability as a bb player.

Ladies and Gents, we got ourselves a PLAYER!

#4 Hakeemtheking, Jun 25, 2011
ElDobleK Literally Zan Tabak

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More than anything else I've heard, Thorpe's assessment of Morris has me pumped. He really knows his stuff.

#5 ElDobleK, Jun 25, 2011
Carl Herrera Contributing Member

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Good. But Thorpe had nice things to say about Yi Jianlian, too.

http://www.truthaboutit.net/2010/08/discussing-the-fortunes-of-yi-jianlian-with-david-thorpe.html

#6 Carl Herrera, Jun 25, 2011
Greg M Member

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Wow. This really gets me pumped. I hated the pick at first, but I'm becoming a believer.

For anybody who doesn't know who Thorpe is, he's not related to Otis. Here's his wiki page.

#7 Greg M, Jun 25, 2011

steddinotayto Contributing Member

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I don't expect All-Star but I anticipate at least a solid contributor right out of the gates.

#8 steddinotayto, Jun 25, 2011
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#9 sammy, Jun 25, 2011
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Carl Herrera said: ↑

Good. But Thorpe had nice things to say about Yi Jianlian, too.

http://www.truthaboutit.net/2010/08/discussing-the-fortunes-of-yi-jianlian-with-david-thorpe.html
Click to expand...

Yeah, but that's not even close to what he said about Morris

I dont think fans realize how well this guy can shoot. You've got people comparing him to Mike harris, landry, marion, terrence morris, but this guy has a glen rice-smooth jumper AND can hit it off a move or on the move like a typical swingman.

#10 RV6, Jun 25, 2011
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Carl Herrera said: ↑

Good. But Thorpe had nice things to say about Yi Jianlian, too.

http://www.truthaboutit.net/2010/08/discussing-the-fortunes-of-yi-jianlian-with-david-thorpe.html
Click to expand...

100% accuracy, like absolute zero, does not exist.

And Morris will be all that Thorpe says....

Solid player.

#11 liveguy, Jun 25, 2011
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RV6 said: ↑

Yeah, but that's not even close to what he said about Morris

I dont think fans realize how well this guy can shoot. You've got people comparing him to Mike harris, landry, marion, terrence morris, but this guy has a glen rice-smooth jumper AND can hit it off a move or on the move like a typical swingman.
Click to expand...

Say that one more time....I don't think they heard you.

Glen Rice or a more focused, quicker, Glenn Robinson....

They'll see.

#12 liveguy, Jun 25, 2011
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He’s a very tough minded kid. The thing I liked about him was his ambition to be great. This is a guy who wants to be great. I would not say that about a lot of guys I’ve trained. A lot of guys want to get drafted. Marcus wants to be the best player on his team.
Click to expand...

Best part of the story for me. Some guys just "have it", others don't... sounds like Morris has it.

#13 OremLK, Jun 25, 2011

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steddinotayto said: ↑

I don't expect All-Star but I anticipate at least a solid contributor right out of the gates.
Click to expand...

That's all you can ask for....anything more is a bonus.

#14 liveguy, Jun 25, 2011
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That is good to hear coming from a respected guy like Thorpe, instead of just a nobody like me. Seriously.

#15 CXbby, Jun 25, 2011
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Nice read; nice to read. I just wish Thorpe had no bias invested in MM...

#16 xiki, Jun 25, 2011
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Although I haven't been on the Morris bandwagon before the draft, since the pick I've been saying the dude is a 3. Anyone that watched him play knows he can play that position and I think the only reason he fell that far was because teams had the idea that he was a stretch 4.

I think he'll be playing both Forward positions for us a lot, but on the offensive side he'll always be a 3.

#17 JayGoogle, Jun 25, 2011
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Well I admit. You can't hear any better things about a player than that. It sounds like everything we could want and I admittedly was skeptical....but obviously, you cna't just ignore a report like that from someone like Thorpe.

#18 jaxwithanx, Jun 25, 2011

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No i am starting to see what he said in Marcus Morris he has a chance to be real solid for us. I mean borderline allstar if not more at the Small Forward position. It is gonna be real hard to gaurd him at the same time people say it might be hard for him to gaurd others. You are playing against a guy who could play Power forward but quick enough to be a small forward. Thats a physical advantage guys like Carmelo, Lebron, Peirce and others of his size enjoy. He has a stroke and post up too. Might as well use it at the Small forward position where he outmuscles most others and is tall for that position.

#19 thetatomatis, Jun 25, 2011
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Marcus Morris will start at the 3 in the very near future

#20 herro, Jun 25, 2011

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