Washington Wizards head coach Scott Brooks was hoping to change the mantra of this team from lots of bark and no bite to less talk and more work in hopes to capture a wide-open Eastern Conference throne. Forward Markieff Morris showed the team is yet too far from that ideal, as he was tossed with 3;45 remaining in the first half after getting his second technical foul when he mouthed off to New York Knicks rookie Mitchell Robinson.
What was said between them is up for debate, but Robinson, a rookie in this league, did his damage in only a few minutes on the court, getting one of the Wizards starters out for good — bringing up the valid question — if a fresh-blood rookie can do that to ‘Kieff, imagine what a seasoned vet could do?
“He’s a stupid-ass rookie,” Markieff Morris said about Robinson after the game, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. “Talking too much. Obviously I didn’t like what he said, and the refs overplayed it and threw me out.”
“I don’t even know him. I ain’t never really seen him before,” Morris added, his mellow voice rising. “He just checked into the game. I never even guarded him. I didn’t know there was a Mitchell on their team.”
Needless to say, Brooks wasn't thrilled with his forward's behavior, as the Wizards took a meaningless, but entertaining 124-121 overtime loss on Monday.
“First exhibition,” Scott Brooks summarized. “We let our emotions get a little out of control.”
“It’s not good. It’s not a good look. You have five players out there competing, both teams, and you have three referees competing themselves. We have to make sure that we can control our emotions.
“It’s about playing a style of play… and keeping our composure,” he continued. “It doesn’t do any good to give up points. Games are so close. An overtime game we’re giving up free throws and we’re losing players in the game.”
Morris has been notorious for flipping his lid when engaging in a trash-talk battle, but he must learn to separate from his hard-wired North Philly instincts to bark back at players if he hopes to be an integral part of this starting lineup, one that has a mandate to win more than ever.
Follow Us
Subscribe