This discussion has been a long time coming. At the end of the 2013-14 season, everyone was feeling good about the Phoenix Suns. The Morris twins were both coming off career years; Markieff Morris had finished fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting and Marcus Morris had developed into a reliable three-point threat off the bench.
One year later, the fanbase is divided on whether the Morrii have a future in the Valley of the Sun at all, and even THAT description is generous.
Public perception hasn’t been kind to the Morris twins over the last year. On the court, Keef developed into a deadly one-on-one player with an array of face-up moves that help him get off his shot at will. But his mediocrity on the boards has a lot of Suns fans yearning for a more traditional power forward.
Mook, meanwhile, had a down season shooting the ball. Though he bolstered Phoenix’s defense and rebounding at the end of the season when he was inserted into the starting lineup by necessity, he’s still an expendable piece — especially in the context of putting together a blockbuster deal to bring in a star.
The Suns have a promising young core, but the Morris twins have lost the support of the fans. From Keef finishing second in the NBA in technical fouls to Mook blowing up on head coach Jeff Hornacek to Keef calling out the fans for their lack of home-court advantage, the Morrii didn’t earn many new fans this year.
And that’s before you factor in the most important and potentially devastating piece of the puzzle: two charges of felony aggravated assault now facing the brothers.
Markieff and Marcus Morris are both talented, and they’re only 25 years old. But with everyone crossing their fingers for a Morrii swap, it’s time to burst some bubbles and take a look at why, as of right now, it seems highly unlikely they’re dealt away this summer.
Next: The Next Court Date