elindholm's response to yours, Steve, addresses most of the problems I have with Markieff. Just because he has an "attitude" doesn't mean he's a "tough" player. He's not a banger, he's not the type of player who battles for key rebounds or even boxes out well, he isn't someone that can affect the way our opponents bigs play offensively and isn't a priority for their defense either since he's not the type of player who can carry a team offensively to wins. Compare his game to other starting 4's in the league like Aldridge, Duncan, The Brow, Griffin, Gasol, Ibaka, Favors, Monroe, Randolph, Nowitzki, Millsap, Love, etc and tell me which matchup favors Kieff? Is he capable of keeping them from getting their playing their best? Will he outplay any of them in terms of what he puts up offensively compared to them? If you want to use stats he's ranked 21st out of PF's in the league in PER at 16.63 and 14th in the West. Look at all the playoff contenders in the West and tell me which one starts a PF who Kieff is surely better than.
You claim he's our most clutch player based on scoring percentage in the final 3 minutes? Does that stat take the score into consideration at all? The Suns are 2-8 in games decided by 3 points or less, that's in large part because we don't have a closer. He may have a good scoring percentage in the final 3 minutes but that isn't helping the team win close games. He's not a go-to scorer and it's doubtful he will ever be one on a playoff team. If he could score at will like you claim, or "get his shot off", then he'd be putting up more than 14-15 ppg and would also be the guy we wanted to have the ball in his hands at the end of games, but he's not. How many games has his scoring carried the Suns to wins? I'd be willing to bet Green's scoring has led to more wins this year than Markieff. How many games has Kieff been the key player in leading the Suns to a win, not just from a scoring standpoint?
He's the only PF on the roster which basically made him the starter by default, similar to Plumlee as the starting C last season. I'd expect any starter who gets 30+ mpg, who isn't a defensive specialist like Tucker, to be able to get around 15 ppg. He's no more than an average offensive player, he'd be better suited playing against second teams coming off of the bench. I doubt any team with a legit PF or C game plans for Markieff on either end of the floor, unless it's to attack him with their own bigs. They figure he'll get his 14-15 points and their plan is to stop penetration from our guards, which is easier with a guy like Kieff playing 10-15 feet from the basket along side a C like Len. He isn't someone they need to worry about stepping out on the perimeter, grabbing offensive boards, or kicking out to another open player. Just like his brother he's another "ISO-Ball" player who doesn't often pass up the chance to get his even if one of our guards is open outside or Tucker in a corner. He's also one of the few constants as far as being on the court at the end of games so I'd expect him to be able to put up around 15 points when our SF is a 3 & D guy and our Center isn't used much at all offensively.
He's really the closest and only thing to a PF the team has. The team needs more bigs. Without getting a replacement for Frye, whether a stretch 4 or a legit PF/C, in the offseason it made Markieff the starter and only PF. He didn't have to earn the starting spot, it was given to him by default. I think part of the problem with both of the twins attitude this year is because they had no competition for their spots and minutes. Their attitudes needed to be reigned in and Jeff attempted that with the "If you get a technical then you're benched for the rest of the game" tactic but I'm sure that had a negative effect on the teams chemistry. That made it so players like Dragic picked up a T he had to sit for the remainder of the game even though he averages like 3 or 4 a year. I know that it's more than the Morrii who had dumb technicals this year but they've been at the forefront of it and are the most likely causes for that sort of rule to be adopted by Hornacek.
Of course trading him would require getting a PF of sorts in return but I'd rather move him for a player who doesn't have his attitude and plays like a true PF and has room to grow than hold onto Morris, either one or both. I'd be happy if the team moved both the Morrii for Monroe or someone who would only be a rental for the rest of this season just to get them off of the books and open up space for the team to upgrade the PF spot in the draft and/or FA. The Morrii are not the answer in the front court, even if Len develops into an All Star caliber player. I don't see either one of them getting better and trading one alone would most likely lead to more attitude issues.
