NBA Draft Profiles: Darius Morris, Michigan

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Stats: 15.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.7 apg, 2.9 t/o's, 25.0% 3PT

Age: 20, sophomore

Size:

• Listed: 6'5", 190 lb
• Official: 6'3.25" (no shoes), 6'5.25" (with shoes), 6'7.5" (wingspan), 8'6" (reach), 190 lb

Strengths: The NBA loves big point guards, and Morris is the biggest pure point guard in this draft. At over 6'5" in shoes, he has the size to disrupt on the defensive end of the floor and the strength to hold off a defender. He's not an overwhelming athlete like a Kyrie Irving or a Kemba Walker, but he is deceptively quick and understands how to use a change of pace. He's a very good ball handler as well. Morris also happens to be arguably the best pure passer in this draft class. He has terrific vision and a knack for getting the ball to his teammates in a position for them to be effective.

Weaknesses: The biggest knock on Morris is ability as a shooter. He finished his sophomore season as just a 25% three point shooter, a number which has to improve for him to become a starter in the NBA. He doesn't appear to be a great standstill shooter, and his shot selection off the dribble leaves something to be desired. He also turns the ball over at a fairly high rate -- 2.9 per game last season. While he doesn't appear to be a great decision maker, a lot of that can be attributed to the fact that he was the primary ball handler and play maker in Michigan's offense. The Wolverines relied on him to create off the dribble on an overwhelming majority of their offensive possessions, which forced him into situations where he had to over dribble, take tough shots, and make tough passes.

Comparisons:

• Best Case Scenario: Andre Miller. A classic PG who has a lot in common with Morris, as both love to post up smaller guards, have a solid midrange game, do an excellent job incorporating their team, and can’t hit the backside of a barn from 3-point range. Both are savvy playmakers who can carry their team during stretches if they must, but are pass first players who loves to set up their teammates.


• Worst Case Scenario: Poor man's Antonio Daniels. Bigger, athletic guard who has had a decent journeyman career in the league as a back up. Morris has potential, like Daniels did being the 4th overall pick back in 1997, but he also has to work to reach it if he wants to be the PG of the future for a team.

Outlook: Morris has the potential to be a starter in the NBA, but it will require some work. First and foremost, he is going to have to put in the work to make himself a consistent jump shooter. While his numbers are up from his freshman season, he still has a way to go before he can really be considered a true threat from the perimeter. Morris is also going to have to learn how to be more of a facilitator, taking a lesser role in the offense. He's not going to be a point guard of the Deron Williams or Chris Paul ilk, where the offense is centered around him. But there is no questioning his ability to create points and shots for himself and for his teammates, and that is a valuable skill to have. There is a spot for him in the NBA, and there was talk that he could have played himself into the back end of next year's lottery with a good year as a junior. If Morris can make those developments at the next level, he should have a bright future in front of him.

Draft Range: Late 1st Round

And the experts say...

• Chad Ford: "While he's not an elite athlete, he's quicker with the ball than you think and shows great control with his handle. Morris also showed off a terrific midrange jumper in drills. His NBA 3-point shot was solid but still needs work. Morris has elite size and may have the best court vision of anyone in the draft. Add in his defensive abilities and a great, supportive family background, and I can see Morris sticking in the first round."


• Draft Express: "Morris can become even a much more dangerous player if he can continue to improve as a perimeter shooter. His 3-point shooting is up slightly to 27.9% this season, from a miserable 18% as a freshman, and his free throw shooting has risen from 63% to 77%. Clearly he put in some work shooting the ball over the summer. With that said, he still has plenty of room for improvement. He isn't particularly effective as a shooter with his feet set, and while he's more comfortable shooting off the dribble, he still takes some bad shots and doesn't have great range. If he can become a reliable shooter from 3-point range, it should really open up his slashing game and make him an even tougher matchup for opposing point guards."


• Swish Scout: "Natural point guard with great size, build, court vision, passing, and creating ability off the dribble. Doesn’t have a great perimeter jumper and turns the ball over quite a bit, but Morris is an excellent penetrator who loves drive and post up smaller guards, and has all the makings of an NBA starter."

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