Within his first week as a Cavalier – after originally signing a 10-day deal on March 18 – veteran forward Marcus Morris Sr. displayed two facets of his game that could very well come in handy as the Wine & Gold navigate the season’s homestretch and prepare for the Playoffs.
In his Cavaliers debut – against Indiana on the very night he signed with Cleveland – Morris led the squad’s second unit with 14 points, going 5-for-7 from the floor, including 4-of-5 from deep to help the Cavs seal a dramatic 108-105 win over the Pacers.
One week later, his numbers weren’t nearly as good – finishing with just three points in seven minutes of work. The reason for his abbreviated appearance was a first quarter ejection after the 13-year vet clobbered Hornets center Nick Richards with a right forearm as he came across the lane.
Cleveland won that contest against Charlotte by 23 points – and while Morris’ ejection factored little, if at all, in the victory, the message was clear: That there’s a bad dude patrolling the middle for the Cavaliers these days.
Before inking his deal with Cleveland – parlaying that 10-day deal into a contract for the remainder of the season – Morris appeared in 37 games this season with the Sixers before being dealt to San Antonio as part of a three-team deal at the Deadline and later released.
The rugged veteran from Kansas – whose twin brother Markieff currently plays for Dallas – came to Cleveland having played in 825 NBA games with Houston, Phoenix, Detroit, Boston, New York, the Clippers and Philadelphia with career averages of 12.0ppg and 4.5rpg. He’s appeared in 67 career playoff games (starting 45) with averages of 12.6 points and 5.1 boards, shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc.
Morris and J.B. Bickerstaff’s relationship goes back to their Houston days – and his former and current coach confesses that he’s a fan of the grit and toughness that the 6-8, 235-pounder brings to the Wine & Gold.
“I’ve loved Marcus obviously for a long time,” said Bickerstaff. “And the reason why is because he's old school NBA to me, he's the NBA that we grew up watching – and I have so much appreciation for where you win the trenches by any means necessary, right? If you’ve got to put a shoulder on somebody, you put a shoulder on somebody; if you’ve got to put a hard foul on a guy, you put a hard foul on a guy. There’s obviously no intent to hurt or injure anyone, but you make sure that people think twice about going towards your rim.
And that's the old school basketball that I was raised on and that I love so much. So, that's part of the reason why he and I have that bond is because we have respect for that, and you can see his teammates and around the league people take notice when he speaks or when he's on the floor. The league takes notice because they have a respect for him.”
In eight games with the Cavaliers, Morris is averaging 6.8 points and 2.5 boards per – shooting 42 percent from long-range with a pair of double-digit outings.
As Cleveland closes out the final road trip of the regular season, Cavs.com sat down to talk shop with the well-respected vet …
When you joined the Cavs, what did you feel you could bring to the team?
Marcus Morris Sr.: Just another voice, another leader, another experienced guy who’s been through a lot in the NBA, as far as Western Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals. I haven't yet made it all the way through, but the time I've been around here speaks for itself.
So, I just try to come in and help with that mindset – knowing that it's time to switch it on and that these games mean everything.
Did you want to bring some attitude too?
Morris: Yeah, I think that's just a given. When my name gets mentioned, attitude is behind that. So that’s a given.
But there’s also a way to go about it. It's not like, come in here and just be ‘Rah-Rah-Rah!’ I actually try to build a relationship with guys. See what guys are like, see which buttons to push. Because it's not always about just being loud, it's about actually knowing the game. And the biggest difference between me and a lot of these other loud dudes is that I can actually play.
So, I'm not just coming in and just being loud. I'm trying to show by example on the court and off the court.
Tell us about the “No Dunk” rule?
Morris: Yeah, we’re still a work in progress on that, man. But I think as we go, and as we keep going, I think – once again – it’s one of those ‘lead by example’ things, and I feel like we have to light that fire, because coming down this stretch, it's going to be difficult.
We have a tough stretch right now, and a lot of teams know that we're a quiet group. So, we're trying to change that as we go and then leading to the Playoffs. I think it's going to be really big for us.
Not that you were actually “sitting on the couch,” but how difficult is it to come in fresh and try to hit the ground running?
Morris: Honestly, I was sitting on the couch watching the game. But I would work out during the day.
But, I mean, (staying ready) is my job. I've always been a pro, so I never really let the cable loose. Even though it got later and later, I never let the cable loose. So, I never really lost anything from the season.
And I actually got better, because I was able to fix my diet for that last month-and-a-half, be able to fine tune some things, get my mental right. So, actually, the time off really benefited me, because I was watching the games and I know dudes were tired. I was seeing that, and I'm at home chilling.
So, I feel really fresh right now. This is the best time for me, because now when we get into that stretch, when guys need a break, they got a 13-year veteran that can come in, and it seems like it's a big boost. So, my thing is just trying to be a boost to the team and help anywhere I can.
You and J.B. Bickerstaff have had a good relationship that dates back over a decade. What drew you both back together?
Morris: His fire, his passion. He really puts a lot into this thing. People don't see all the behind-the-scenes stuff – staying up all night trying to figure it out, giving guys confidence.
And that's one thing I haven't really experienced around this league since I left (J.B.) is the communication aspect. He's a great communicator. He talks to his players, he allows players to be themselves – and that means a lot in this league. I've been to places where I can't get a conversation from a coach. And I don't really understand that, because we’re all grown men, we’re all professionals.
So, it’s small things, man. I appreciate the open communication, I appreciate the work he puts in.
And the other thing is how he allows coaches to coach. You don't see that a lot around this league, but it allows coaches to have their voices and he allows his vets have voices on the team. Guys appreciate that.
This team has struggled to catch a steady rhythm heading down the homestretch. Can this West Coast trip help galvanize the squad down the stretch?
Morris: Yeah, I think so, man. But I think a lot of our struggle has been from within. We’ve just had a lot of moving pieces, a lot of guys coming back (from injury). And that's tough. It's tough, especially at this part of the season, just having guys coming in and out of the lineup.
But once we get straight and figure out who's going to play, who's going to sacrifice, I think the team will be better. But stress like this is actually really good, because if we can get some of these wins going back home, back to Cleveland having those three home games, we can really get some momentum going into the Playoffs.
As a guy with a ton of postseason experience, can this team make some noise in the Playoffs?
Morris: Oh, hell yeah. With these young fellas? Yeah, we’ve got some guys, man.
Now, it’s just about wanting it. Wanting it and bringing it every night and being able to get into that mindset.