The Cons
Morris has been described as having an attitude problem in Phoenix this season. Much of that is due to his displeasure with the organization for trading his twin brother, Marcus to Detroit. Markieff and Marcus are identical twins and have been inseparable for almost their entire lives.
They played together at Kansas in college, shared a room together, and even have matching tattoos.
When Marcus and Markieff were drafted by separate teams, neither one of them got off to a hot start to their NBA careers.
It was after Marcus was traded from Houston to Phoenix that Markieff’s play elevated to put him in the conversation of up and coming power forwards.
The twins even signed a joint-contract together, that ensured they would make a combined salary instead of separate contracts.
The whole thing is pretty weird to be honest, but I don’t know what it’s like to have a twin. Who knows what kind of freaky experiences go on in that telekinetic linked brainwave supernatural connection?
Either way, not having a brother on the same team shouldn’t be the sole factor that someone can’t play at a high level if they are already capable of proving they can hang with the better forwards in the league.
It also should not be an excuse to act out against the team, or throw a towel at a coach, like Markieff did in December, which led to his suspension for two games.
So, long-story short, there are some issues with Markieff’s professionalism, but there were far worse signs with regards to J.R. Smith before he came to Cleveland.
Change of scenery is not always the answer, but a chance at going from the cellar to a contender should be enough to motivate any player to step their game up.
The only other issue that I could see arising from Morris coming to Cleveland is if the chemistry of the team is affected to the point where guys like Tristan and Love are unhappy with their playing time.
Players’ egos can be fragile, and Love and Thompson both signed huge, long-term contracts before this season, ensuring that they would be main fixtures in Cleveland.
If Love is having a bad game or a rough stretch of games, and Morris were to see increased minutes, could it become a negative distraction?
However, if that’s the case and the players care more about themselves than what’s best for the team, there are bigger problems at hand than just the play on the floor.
San Antonio has been the model of unselfish, team basketball for nearly 20 years. Golden State has built a team chemistry up over the last four seasons with their “Big Three” of Curry, Green, and Thompson, and their role players all know where they fit.
It’s going to take everyone moving in the same direction for the Cavs to win a championship.
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