Markieff Morris: 13th pick, rookie of the year candidate?

When the Phoenix Suns selected Markieff Morris with the 13th pick in the draft it was thought they were getting a tough, hard-nosed player who would understand and fulfill his role on the court.

Did they also get a rookie of the year contender?

Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com says they may have.

Morris faces more competition for playing time in Phoenix and is unlikely to match [Kenneth] Faried’s eye-popping rebounding numbers, but expect him to be one of the league’s most efficient rookie scorers.

If Morris finds his way into the starting lineup he’ll have a good chance of putting up some eye-popping numbers. Playing alongside Steve Nash will help, and he will likely not be the focus of opposing defenses. That should lead to more chances, and if he can shoot anywhere close to the .589 percentage he did his final year in Kansas that will lead to a surprising amount of points.

And, as long as his rebounding is as good as advertised the Suns will not only have themselves a solid player, but one of the better rookies in this class.

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