Phoenix Suns 5-On-5: The Best Of Media Day
By Gavin Schall
Do you buy Markieff Morris’ commitment to the team?
Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet): I do. I’m not sure I buy that his commitment to the team is solely because he’s had a change of heart though. Keef was saying all the right things. He expressed excitement to play with Tyson Chandler, wanted to put this summer behind him, said he was glad to be back with his teammates and even promised to win fan support back. But Morris doesn’t feel like the type to forget, and his commitment to the team could very well just be common sense; he won’t be traded unless he can boost his trade value back up.
Gavin Schall (@GavinSchall): I buy that he’s committed to building his trade value. I’m sure his conversations with Chandler and other teammates were certainly a factor in calming him down enough to even consider playing, but ultimately it came down to what general manager Ryan McDonough presumably told him. “You play, and play well, we can reasonably talk about trading you.”
Mark Harris (@Harris_Mark7): No. Think of what would have happened if he had said, “Yeah I don’t want to be on the Phoenix Suns anymore.” That would blow up into a firestorm online and it would just add fuel to the rumors. I still believe that he does not want to be in Phoenix. He said all summer that he didn’t want to play for the Suns, and I don’t think his opinion would suddenly change on Media Day.
Troy Tauscher (@tt_sports): I’m on the fence. I think that Markieff is still unhappy with the front office, but that he really does value the game above all. I think he is smart enough to realize that he shouldn’t hold it against his teammates, or maybe even the fans. Now, do I think he’d cry if he got traded tomorrow? No. His ultimate goal may well have been to reassert his professional status. I’m not sure whether it’s to improve his chances of getting traded it to improve his relationship with the franchise.
Scott Chasen (@SChasenKU: I’m not sure that’s the right question to ask. I buy the idea that he still wants to be traded, but I also buy the idea that he’s going to play like any other player once the games start happening. If that’s commitment, then sure, I buy it, but even the use of the word itself is pretty subjective.
Next: No. 2