Darius Morris Projected as 38th Pick

Submitted by andrewG on

Chad Ford put out his final mock draft before the real deal and has Morris going to the Rockets with the 38th pick. Let's hope it doesn't play out that way. (ESPN Insider article)

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft2011/insider/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=MockDraft-Round2-110623

The relevant info:

The Rockets would like to add some size in the backcourt and have been fans of Morris for a while. At No. 38, he's worth the risk. He has a lot of Andre Miller to his game.

coastal blue

June 23rd, 2011 at 3:55 PM ^

He made a mistake leaving early.

I thought I'd heard that he was probably a lock as a late first round choice?

turtleboy

June 23rd, 2011 at 3:54 PM ^

just because the other top PGs are projected to go in the first 10 picks yet the Lakers, the Heat, and the Mavs all have an urgent need for a PG. He'll go to one of those 3 if not sooner. I hope I hope I hope that the Pistons get Valanciunus and Monroe moves to PF. If we don't pick a true Center or someone with a post game then we had better get someone with a good 3ball.

michfan4borw

June 23rd, 2011 at 4:20 PM ^

His passing ability coupled with the scoring abilities of LJ, DWade and Bosh would likely  result in a crazy number of assists for DMo.  I'm not sure DMo on that team would be enough for me to root for the Heat though.  

OmarDontScare

June 23rd, 2011 at 4:48 PM ^

The only problem is that Wade and Bron handle the ball so much. They use their point guards as basically spot up 3pt shooters (Bibby, Chalmers). DMo would be better off playing with a team that has catch and shoot wings as well as a solid big man. Knicks would be ideal.

freernnur5

June 23rd, 2011 at 4:24 PM ^

Being from LA I am hoping the Lakers take him. Fisher is getting too old, and the Lakers need someone who can distribute the ball and play defense (JJ Barea just flat out embarassed them). Plus with Kobe having a couple good years left he wouldn't be required to be a scoring threat right away and could ease into that role.

Regardless of where he goes though I will be rooting for him.

mGrowOld

June 23rd, 2011 at 3:56 PM ^

We'll find out soon.  I said the day he announced it was a mistake and that he would go in the second round and was roundly chastized for my lack of support of his decision.  I hope I'm wrong but I just don't see it.  The NBA places a super premium on the ability to knock down at least mid range jumpers and that's just not part of Darius's game (yet).

orobs

June 23rd, 2011 at 4:05 PM ^

Only time will tell if it was a mistake. Like everything in life, there are risks and benefits to this decision. Obviously, he could have benefited by improving his draft stock and avoiding a potential lockout. But there are some obvious risks, like an injury or poor performance that would have killed his draft stock. Or he could have not changed his draft stock at all, foregoing millions. I wish he stayed for selfish reasons, but I certainly don't blame him for fulfilling his dream to play in the NBA.

turtleboy

June 23rd, 2011 at 4:06 PM ^

by interest from NBA teams. Coach Beilein said that in an interview, and about him having to tell Morris that NBA teams were making contact about him and trying to convince him to go pro now, and even then they debated staying or going. Entering the draft WAS NOT him chasing a pipe dream or him having delusions of granduer. Pro teams came calling and offered him jobs.

Michigan248

June 23rd, 2011 at 4:20 PM ^

Who cares? It doesnt matter if he goes 1st or 60th he made the decsion to go pro now support him. Yes i know it sucks for Michigan but get over it. Alot of great players have been drafted in after the lottery Rondo,Arenas,Boozer,Sprewell,Nach,Parker,Cassell among many others.

Lampuki22

June 23rd, 2011 at 4:13 PM ^

Sorry, my bad. 

Let me respond to the post:

D-Mo could go anywhere from 8 to 38. No one knows.  We miss him. He played point guard very well.    His replacement will be Ohio Mr. Basketball Trey Burke.  We hope he also plays well because D-Mo is getting drafted today. 

By the way, HOW GOOD IS TREY BURKE? 

 

CO Blue

June 23rd, 2011 at 10:19 PM ^

Trey Burke is good. He played point guard in high school well enough to be awarded Mr. Basketball in Ohio. We will enjoy having him on the team. Hopefully he plays as well as Darius did when he was here, who will later this evening be drafted by an NBA team.

Seriously, check out UMHoops.com. They provide really nice basketball coverage which Brian links to frequently on this here blog.

Best of luck to Darius. 

MI Expat NY

June 23rd, 2011 at 4:01 PM ^

Wasn't Ford one of the first guys to have Morris going mid to late first round?  If so, this news has to be disheartening a little bit.  Maybe it's a sign that teams that were high on him have cooled a little bit.  I really don't like the language about being worth the risk at 38.  There's not a whole lot of risk once you get into the second round.

MI Expat NY

June 23rd, 2011 at 4:11 PM ^

I've said this before, but I don't think Morris fits what Miami needs in a point guard.  LeBron and Wade are both creators who like to have the ball in their hands.  Miami needs a point guard who can knock down the open 3 and distribute without having to dominate play.  We all know that Morris isn't a shooting threat, and to me, his vision was most effective when he was dominating the ball.  I'm not sure which point guard Miami is going to want by the time the 31st pick comes around, but I'm fairly certain it's not going to be Morris.

MI Expat NY

June 23rd, 2011 at 5:32 PM ^

Great minds think alike.  While I agree that the Knicks offer a good fit, I don't see them taking Morris at 17.  It's probably too high for Morris.  And in true Knickerbocker fashion, they don't have a second round selection.

Besides, the Knicks are obviously getting Chris Paul or Deron Williams, so why waste a pick on a PG, at least that's the thinking of one very dilusional fan base.

jmblue

June 23rd, 2011 at 4:04 PM ^

I think he'll go higher than that.  He has two things that can't be taught - size and floor vision.  He can work with a shooting coach.

MilkSteak

June 23rd, 2011 at 4:05 PM ^

I wonder if the Pistons will make a move to try to get him. They need a true point and I think he has a lot of potential. If he falls to 38th there will be plenty of chances to move in to get him.

As much as I think he may have been able to improve his draft status next year, I think he made the right choice. There was just no way he was going to be able to top his stats from last year, might as well get in there while his stock is still reasonably high. 

MI Expat NY

June 23rd, 2011 at 4:30 PM ^

He might still be playing in the NBA.  Though it's probable that a second round guy gets a roster spot, it's certainly no guarantee.  The bigger problem is that teams have less invested in second round selections and often times that translates into less incentive to work on a young player's development.  

I hope someone in the late first round takes a shot on him.  I don't want him to regret his decision.

Kilgore Trout

June 23rd, 2011 at 4:12 PM ^

Ford has been all over the place with his projections.  I think the above people make good poitns about Morris being a need for a few teams with late first round picks.  I still think he goes in the first round.

Needs

June 23rd, 2011 at 4:19 PM ^

Ford has been proven to be incredibly unreliable in his projections, both of drafts and of player potential. I think teams use him to float rumors b/c they know he'll print whatever they tell him.

Griff88

June 23rd, 2011 at 5:54 PM ^

is shopping it's two draft picks, 14 and 23. If the Pistons made that trade, I could see them taking a chance with Morris at 23. They need a true point. Stuckey as a combo guard just isn't getting it done

MAgoBLUE

June 23rd, 2011 at 4:25 PM ^

How is Kyrie Irving the #1 pick as a frosh leaving early who hardly played last year?  Sometimes I don't understand scouting.  Give me someone who I've actually seen play against the best competition and has proved durable and successful.  Someone like, ohh I don't know, Kemba Walker?

Marshon Brooks is gonna be the steal of this draft.  Mark it dude.

freernnur5

June 23rd, 2011 at 4:32 PM ^

Kyrie is #1 because of the ability he flashed during the games he played. With PG being a premium nowadays they are highly rated. Kyrie is a very good distributer and he makes his team better. With him running the pick and roll with the Plumlees people were rating that the one of the Plumlees could be a first round pick. He gets injured and virtually all hope of that Plumlee even being drafted vanished.

Teams love guys that can distribute and make the rest of the team better. I think DMO does that, just not as well as Kyrie.

Edit: I don't think he will be the next Derrick Rose however, and I think he needs a slightly better supporting cast than what Cleveland has in order for him to shine.

MAgoBLUE

June 23rd, 2011 at 4:48 PM ^

Good point about PG being so important.  When they did away with hand checking a few years ago that made PG the most valuable position on the floor.  Kemba might be considered more of a scorer than a distributer but the guy is a proven winner and I think that gets overlooked way too often at draft time.

MAgoBLUE

June 23rd, 2011 at 4:52 PM ^

His numbers from the 11 games he managed to play are very good.  So is what he was able to do against Arizona in the Sweet 16 when he scored 28 in a loss.  I'd just be scared off by the fact that he spent most of the season in a cast with a "severe ligament injury" in his right big toe.  That's not supposed to happen to 18 year olds.

MI Expat NY

June 23rd, 2011 at 5:56 PM ^

If he had multiple injuries, I'd agree.  Plenty of people have had a single ligament injury in their career.  If it were a knee or ankle injury, I'd be more worried.  But, my recollection is that guys who suffer turf toe type injuries, once they have recovered haven't been all that likely to repeat the injury.