When Markieff Morris first joined the Lakers, he played an important part as a valuable role player on the 2019-20 team that won a title. Even the following season, he remained one of the few consistent contributors in an injury-riddled season.
A lot of time has passed since that stint, though. When Morris returned to Los Angeles as part of the Luka Dončić trade, there were zero expectations of him contributing on the floor. However, he’s still proven to be a valuable member of the roster, this time as a veteran voice at the end of the bench.
Prior to Saturday’s win over the Nuggets, head coach JJ Redick spoke about Morris and the impact he’s had since coming back to LA (via Khobi Price of OC Register).
“He’s been awesome. It’s very valuable to have a guy like that, a voice, an older voice, someone who’s seen it all in the NBA, someone who’s won a championship, obviously that helps as well.
“He’s been great on the bench with talking with guys, making sure our bench energy is good. I told him the other day, we see it and we appreciate it and we all just value what he’s doing right now from that aspect in leadership.”
There’s something to be said, as Redick notes, to having not just a veteran at the end of the bench, but someone who has the respect of everyone on the roster, LeBron James included.
While it’s not a requirement, the successful Lakers teams had someone on the roster who could provide the team with leadership and keep everyone in check.
For example, the 2019-20 team (and seasons beyond) had Jared Dudley. It’s not a stretch to see Morris having Dudley-sized role on this roster.
That’s an important part of the roster — and one the Lakers have not replaced since Dudley departed — that can still bring valuable qualities to the team. Redick also spoke to that aspect as well.
“It’s important that he’s been through it with LeBron and our guys know that. LeBron respects him, our guys respect him. And again, it’s something I talked about maybe a month ago. There’s so many different forms of leadership and we need Kieff’s leadership.”
Morris’ time as a valuable on-court player is probably over, both in Los Angeles and in the NBA as a whole. However, what he can provide the Lakers this season and potentially moving forward in this role could still prove very valuable.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
