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Markieff and Marcus Morris do not dabble in delusions. Teammates at Prep Charter High School, 1928 Point Breeze Ave., and the University of Kansas, the twin forwards knew although their love would keep them emotionally inseparable, their professional lives would halt their being geographically so. The ballers began their new existence June 23, becoming the 13th and 14th picks, respectively, in the NBA Draft.
The Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., served as the site of their severing. The 14 non-playoff squads led off the evening by making their lottery selections. Mock drafts tabbed similar players with the first few choices, but disparities marked the latter ones. The brothers, clad in impressive suits, left donning caps of teams that hope their talents will lead to returns to prominence.
Perennial playoff participants, the Phoenix Suns slumped to a 40-42 record and missed the playoffs by six games. Eager to restore their reputation as a contender, they nabbed Markieff, a 6-foot-9 force, who will provide offensive flexibility and help to minimize their chief liability, shaky defense.
Older by seven minutes, he decided April 7 to forgo his senior season. Doing so initiated debates on how soon into draft night he would extend his right hand to commissioner David Stern. As the honorable mention All-American ascended the stage, his sibling let out tears. Droplets nearly reached his own eyes, as he confessed after descending the area.
“When I heard the Suns picking me, man, I wanted to cry,” Markieff said during Thursday’s ESPN telecast. “That’s just the place I’ve always wanted to be, and it just felt so good.”
The offensive-minded unit’s only pick, he will look for lobs from point guard Steve Nash, a two-time league MVP, and will seek to continue his progression as a defensive stalwart. This past season, he led the Big 12 Conference with a 58.9 field goal percentage and an 8.3 rebounds-per-game average. He dropped 13.6 points per game and proved his perimeter prowess by drilling 38 three-pointers. Despite his achievements, he had to deal with as many attackers as he did backers.
“A lot of guys don’t say I have an upside, but we’re going to see,” he said at a press conference. “I’m ready to put the work in and be the best possible.”
Prognosticators had felt Marcus would end up wearing a hat first, but even though Phoenix ruined their predictions, he soon had his chance to tower over the diminutive Stern.
“Once I was called, I still had a little pressure on me waiting for my brother to be called,” Markieff said.
Marcus had a microphone thrust before him just after his brother’s departure from the arena’s greenroom. Tears gave way to levity when a reporter asked how he would deal with not suiting up with Markieff.
“It ain’t the end of the world,” Marcus said during the television interview. “I’ll see him again. I mean, I’ll send him flowers or some fruit. It’ll be good.”
Their mother Angel Morris had to wait just over seven minutes for her younger child to become a member of the Houston Rockets. While many experts believe the sun has set on Phoenix, they see Houston, often considered an also-ran in their own state because of the NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks and the four-time winner San Antonio Spurs, as a promising bunch. Adding Marcus, a Second-Team All-American and the Big 12 Player of the Year, should make make those sages salivate.
The 6-foot-8 star also declared April 7. Once Stern announced his name, he became the second half of the third set of twins to go in the first round.
“I wanted to be a Houston Rocket,” he said in another interview. “From the first time I worked out, I got a great vibe from those guys, and they told me how much they wanted me.”
The team’s bosses also crave extended campaigns. Owners of two crowns, the Rockets registered a 43-39 mark, falling three games short of a playoff berth. Marcus figures to fire accurate shots and snare plentiful rebounds for the up-tempo team.
He compiled junior-year averages of 17.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. He amassed 10 double-doubles and won three Player of the Week honors. He became the 18th Jayhawk selected in the first round in the last 21 years.
“I just told my brother these were the two places that we both wanted to end up at, if it wasn’t together,” Marcus said at a press conference.
The two arrived at Kansas months after the school claimed the 2008 NCAA Title. They helped the national power to win three Big 12 regular-season titles and two conference tournament championships. A favorite to win this year’s title, Kansas fell in the Elite Eight but went 35-3.
Often triumphing continued their experience with winning. The North Philadelphia natives led Prep Charter to two state championships during their South Philadelphia days. Though they could not land the Jayhawks more titles, they view their decision to leave and to test their skills at the next level as a regret-free one.
“It’s just amazing how things play out,” Marcus said at the same conference. “I’m just thanking God. He really has a plan for us. It just played out the exact way we wanted it to. It’s just so amazing.”
While the twins enjoyed draft night, Syracuse University’s Rick Jackson, a product of Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School, 1736 S. 10th St., had to deal with disappointment. Seen as a second-round pick, the 6-foot-9 forward, who averaged a double-double in his senior year against tough Big East competition, went undrafted but will look to impress at free agent camps.
The Sixers selected Nikola Vucevic, a power forward from the University of Southern California, and Lavoy Allen, a power forward from Temple University. They will vie for minutes on a team that impressed many last season by claiming 41 victories and a spot in the playoffs, where they lost a five-game first-round series against the Miami Heat.
The twins hope to make their teams postseason invitees. Being on different rosters will be novel, but they are eager to excel.
“It’s a new chapter in our life. We’re ready to move on,” Markieff said during his draft interview.
“It’s definitely going to be weird,” Marcus said in his interview of the split, “but we’re growing up. He’s my best friend, and I want him to do well.”
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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