Markieff Morris recently returned to the court after a lengthy layoff due to a a neck injury.
His return has given the Miami Heat another frontcourt weapon in anticipation of a long postseason. Now that the team has more depth at the forward and center positions, Miami’s coaching staff is likely looking at how to move ahead with its rotation.
Some of Morris’ minutes in the past few games have come alongside P.J. Tucker. Morris recently spoke about the solid friendship he shares with his former Phoenix Suns teammate.
“We played five years together in Phoenix,” Morris said. “He’s one of my good friends. He was one of my best friends before I got here. So we have a lot of stuff that we talk about. I know his game to a T. He knows my game to a T. We both do a great job of putting each other in the places that need to be put, so we both succeed. We’ve got that camaraderie on the court.”
Both Morris and Tucker are in their first seasons with the Heat. They were brought on board last offseason to help Miami contend for a title. Both of them have championship pedigree, which can definitely give the Heat a boost in the upcoming playoffs.
Morris helped the Los Angeles Lakers win the title in the 2019-20 season. Incidentally, the Lakers faced Miami in the NBA Finals that season, claiming the championship after beating the Heat in six games.
On the other hand, Tucker won an NBA title last season as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. Milwaukee’s first opponent in the 2021 playoffs was Miami. The Bucks swept the Heat in the first round.
Both veterans have played well for Miami in the 2021-22 campaign. Morris is posting averages of 8.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Tucker is averaging 7.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest, having appeared in 63 games for the team.
The Heat are currently first in the Eastern Conference, and they have a chance to solidify their hold of the top seed when they face the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.