Comparing Toni Kukoc and Marcus Morris
- 1997-98 Bulls: Toni Kukoc
- 2019-20 Clippers: Marcus Morris Sr.
Lengthy, skilled forwards that can put the ball on the floor and get a shot up anywhere on the court are tough to find these days.
The Bulls drafted Kukoc in the 1990 NBA Draft and hoped he could add his sweet play-making to a team that already had a dominant scoring guard in Jordan and a point forward in Pippen.
The Clippers acquired Morris Sr. at the NBA Trade Deadline, creating more spacing and adding more shooting plus shot-creating that the starting lineup lacked with Moe Harkless.
When Michael Jordan first retired, Toni Kukoc stepped up majorly, hitting game-winner after game-winner and making a name for himself in the league.
For Morris Sr., his chance was given when the New York Knicks gave him the keys to the offense, giving him the green light for pretty much every game.
Once Jordan announced he would come back to the Bulls, Kukoc immediately went into a stretch-4 role, opening up the floor for the Bulls to run their triangle offense.
When Morris Sr. was acquired, he said all the right things about adding toughness and playing any role needed. His shot wasn’t falling when he first joined the team but the stoppage if play should get him caught up in the team playbook and ready to lace them up once (if) the season resumes.