June 22, 2011

Darius Morris - Morris is one of the purest, most pass-first point guards in this draft, ranking fifth in the nation in assists at 6.7 per game, alongside a solid 2.9 turnovers per game. In a Michigan system that rather mandated it, Morris dribbled the ball so much that his palms went orange - the only other play on the team with a chance of handling or playmaking was freshman Tim Hardaway Jr, who, frankly, could not be trusted. Morris also stuck in 15 points a game on a very impressive 49% shooting, although he did so without having any more than about 15 feet of range. He used his handle to not only keep the offense moving and the ball alive, but also to get to the rim - this was something a very protracted process involving several pivots, readjustments, and much burning of the clock, but it was largely effective.

Standing 6'4, Morris is also one of the bigger point guards in the draft. Without being lightning quick, he has one of the better physical profiles around - just as big as someone like Malcolm Lee, yet also being an actual point guard. Morris's size helps him defensively, too, and while he's not as good of a decision maker as the solid assist-to-turnover ratio and the 49% shooting suggest, he nonetheless was the crux of a Michigan team that made a deep run using little else but Morris and a load of shooters who weren't that good at shooting. Morris is constantly attacking and applying pressure, and if that means the occasional mistake, so be it.

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