After all the jokes, all the mocks, all the mocking jokes ... Markieff Morris did get taken ahead of his brother Marcus in the 2011 NBA Draft. And not just that, but the marshmallow Phoenix Suns are the team that took the brawny forward. Was the No. 13 pick a cruel dream?
NBA Draft Grades 2011: Suns Confuse Markieff Morris’ Family, Get Tougher
Gained: Markieff Morris.
Gave up: Nothing.
Synopsis: Morris immediately becomes Phoenix's toughest power forward. I'm really going out on a ledge here, considering that Hakim Warrick and Channing Frye are the competition. But still. The Suns now have two brawlers in the frontcourt (Morris, Marcin Gortat), and the team's famously bad rebounding should improve, provided that Alvin Gentry gives Morris lots of early minutes.
Chris Singleton or Kawhi Leonard would have been better value picks and also met the defense/toughness need. But that’s more a quibble than a demerit. A for effort, C for execution, which averages out to ...
Grade: B.
For more on the Suns, visit Bright Side Of The Sun.
Hit our 2011 NBA Draft hub for full coverage of the aftermath.
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