Among the 16 former Kansas players active in the NBA during the 2016-17 regular season — henceforth known as the dawn of The Joel Embiid Era — only six get a crack at the spotlight known as The Playoffs.
For those Jayhawks fans in search of a team to follow in the postseason, look no further than the Washington Wizards.
The Eastern Conference’s No. 4 seed utilizes two former Bill Self players — starter Markieff Morris and backup Kelly Oubre Jr. — in its rotation.
Morris, a sixth-year power forward, isn’t the face of the franchise by any means — that moniker belongs to point guard John Wall. But those in the Wizards locker room will argue the 27-year-old Morris is as important as anyone this spring, as Washington tries to make a deep run in the East.
The 27-year-old former Kansas standout put up 20 points in each of his final two regular-season appearances. As [detailed by CSN Mid-Atlantic][1], Morris’ production tied in with the team’s success throughout the year, so the Wizards expect plenty out of him as they open a first-round series with Atlanta on Sunday afternoon.
Check out Morris’ splits in D.C. wins and losses, as referenced by CSN:
> – Played in 45 of 49 wins. In those games, Morris shot 39.1% from 3-point
> range and made 48% of his shots
> overall.
>
> – In 31 losses he played in, Morris shot 32.1% on 3-pointers and
> only 42.3% overall.
>
> “When he makes 3s, we’re a different
> team and I’ve told him that,”
> first-year Wizards head coach Scott
> Brooks said. “I’d like him to take
> four to five threes if he’s there in a
> rhythm, he’s comfortable and his feet
> are set. He can make those at a
> 40-something percent clip. … I’m glad
> it’s starting to come back. He had a
> stretch there it wasn’t falling for
> him but he didn’t stop working and
> it’s paying off.”
Even better news for Brooks, Morris and his teammates: now that the playoffs are here, the schedule isn’t as demanding and Morris (14.0 points per game, 6.5 rebounds this season) has proven to be an efficient, productive scorer when rested. And there will be at least a two-day break between games in the playoffs.
More telling numbers from CSN:
> – On zero days rest (15 times), Morris shot 41.8% overall and 31.6% from 3.
>
> – On one day of rest (42 times), Morris shot 43.8% overall and 32.3%
> from 3.
>
> – On two days of rest (11 times), Morris shot 52.2% overall and
> 46.7% from 3.
>
> – On three days of rest (five times), Morris shot 56.9% overall and 50% from
> three.
As for Oubre, a key sub and perimeter defender — the 6-7 wing closed the last couple weeks of his second season averaging 10.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in April (though he only made 38.6% of his field goals and 25% of his 3-pointers).
The up-and-coming 21-year-old recently received a glowing review from one of the league’s elite players, Golden State’s Kevin Durant:
> “Some of these young cats that come
> into the league, they got super
> confidence, uber-confidence, and they
> just go through the motions, where
> they’re just too cool, you know what
> I’m saying? But he had a little — he
> had some dog in him,” Durant said of
> Oubre while speaking on [The Bill
> Simmons Podcast][2]. “He might foul
> you hard. That’s how I know, actually,
> if young guys they really want it.
> They’ll foul you hard and play
> physical. I was playing with him and
> he’d foul me hard, and I’m like, ‘I
> like that. I like that you care.’
> Because a lot of these cats don’t care
> about the game.”
Other KU players to watch
————————-
**Wayne Selden Jr., Memphis Grizzlies**
He’s by far the least experienced NBA player on their roster, but the seventh-seeded Memphis Grizzlies might actually need the youthful legs of Wayne Selden Jr., versus West power San Antonio — in a best-of-seven series that begins Saturday.
First-year head coach David Fizdale recently explained Selden’s worth to [The Commercial Appeal][3].
> “He can play. I wasn’t giving out
> charity minutes. He was balling,”
> Fizdale said. “The kid is built for
> the league. He’s got a great two
> guard’s body. He reminds me a lot of
> Dwyane Wade from a body standpoint
> (with) big shoulders. And he knows how
> to play. He’s got an IQ about him.
> We’re just going to work hard to
> develop him and see where it takes us,
> but I really like what I’m seeing so
> far.”
After going un-drafted and making his NBA debut with New Orleans, Selden caught on with Memphis late in the season and has played in all of 11 games for the Grizzlies.
Though he likely won’t play as much in the postseason — unless all the games are out of reach — Selden averaged 27.5 minutes in the Grizzlies’ final six games, averaging 8.2 points, 2.0 assists and shooting 42.9% from the floor.
**The rest of the Jayhawks**
– Only a handful of games remain in Paul Pierce’s storied career, so get a glimpse of him while you can in his brief reserve minutes, as the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers face Utah, beginning Saturday night.
– Nick Collison barely plays any more for the sixth-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, but at least you can see his reactions as MVP candidates Russell Westbrook and James Harden square off. Houston vs. OKC tips off Sunday night. Who knows, the offseason could mark the end of Collison’s 13-year career, as well. Here’s what he said on the mater to [The Oklahoman][4]:
> “I don’t know, we’ll see,” Collison
> said of his future. “All season long,
> I’ve said I’m gonna wait until the
> season’s over and figure that stuff
> out, so I’m holding to that; the
> season’s not over yet.”
– Playing behind one of the league’s top defensive players, center Rudy Gobert, Jeff Withey doesn’t get a lot of run with fifth-seeded Utah. The 7-foot shot-blocker who starred at Kansas averaged 2.9 points and 2.4 boards in 8.5 minutes in his fourth NBA season. Look for him in spurts against the Clippers and Pierce, in a series that could go seven games.
[1]: http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/washington-wizards/morning-tip-more-rest-markieff-morris-yields-significantly-better-results-wizards
[2]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2017/04/02/bill-simmons-explains-to-kevin-durant-why-kelly-oubre-jr-is-his-favorite-bench-guy/?utm_term=.8aad8d2c0687
[3]: http://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/nba/grizzlies/2017/04/08/grizzlies-morning-after-selden-showing-his-wares/100207746/
[4]: http://newsok.com/article/5545334