New Nets ahead and self-proclaimed “very tough guy,” Markieff Morris mentioned the notion in regards to the Nets final season was that they had been “soft.”
He additionally mentioned that he has the answer to the workforce’s downside.
Morris, one-half of the Morris Twins together with his brother, L.A. Clipper Marcus Morris, has saved a longstanding and regular status as one of many league’s high enforcers. In reality, he was tossed from a sport for shoving one other vaunted robust man, DeMarcus Cousins, throughout a sport in 2021.
Morris, nonetheless, mentioned the Nets lacked that toughness and groups across the league knew it. He pointed to the time final season when the Heat had been with out each All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry and nonetheless beat the Nets completely.
After Kevin Durant mentioned the Nets didn’t get any respect from opponents final season, Morris agreed.
“They were soft. Just point-blank period,” mentioned the veteran ahead, who gained an NBA championship as a member of LeBron James’ 2020 Los Angeles Lakers workforce. “When we performed up in opposition to them, they had been comfortable. Just go proper up of their chest, and that’s what we did.
“Miami actually beat them without their best players. There was a bunch of two-way guys and a bunch of guys that came up from COVID. Just more so go in their chest. That’s just what it was. That’s what they were saying, anyway. I only played one game against Brooklyn last year.”
Morris made it some extent to make clear that he didn’t suppose the Nets thought they had been comfortable, however mentioned it was the notion about them from different groups.
How does he plan to repair that notion? Morris credited his toughness to rising up in Philadelphia. He’s going to repair this downside along with his arms.
“S—t, you go out there just play hard, knock somebody on the ground,” he mentioned. “Kick ‘em in their ass, see if they get up. Then you’ll know.”
Morris will be capable of try this particularly since head coach Steve Nash plans to make use of him as a middle. The two have a relationship that dates again to Morris’ standing as a rookie on the Phoenix Suns one season earlier than Nash’s commerce to the Los Angeles Lakers. Morris mentioned he doesn’t think about himself a middle, but in addition mentioned, “if Steve wants to call me a center, I’m a center.”
Morris mentioned he’s taller than his former teammate and All-Star heart Bam Adebayo, although each are listed on the NBA’s web site as 6′10″. Regardless of his top or place, he fills a necessity the Nets have. He will present toughness the place they as soon as lacked it.
“I think Markieff is a need for us and just his presence, his personality. He has a voice, he has an experience, he has an understanding of the game,” Nash mentioned. “That’s a necessity. We want guys that may converse to the group and work with their teammates in a manner that you already know they’ve an amazing understanding of what they’re doing. They perceive the sport. They’ve been there earlier than. Those instruments are usually not straightforward to come back by. I believe he has all these issues.
“Before we even talk about him playing and what his role is and how he can affect us on the floor, his impact off the floor is really important for us.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com