Marcus Morris (basketball)

Marcus Morris
No. 13 – Boston Celtics
Position Forward
League NBA
Personal information
Born (1989-09-02) September 2, 1989
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nationality American
Listed height 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight 235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school Prep Charter
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
APEX Academy
(Pennsauken, New Jersey)
College Kansas (2008–2011)
NBA draft 2011 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14th overall
Selected by the Houston Rockets
Playing career 2011–present
Career history
2011–2013 Houston Rockets
2012 →Rio Grande Valley Vipers
2013–2015 Phoenix Suns
2015–2017 Detroit Pistons
2017–present Boston Celtics
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Marcus Thomas Morris Sr. (born September 2, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 6'9" forward played college basketball at Kansas before being drafted 14th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2011 NBA draft.

Early life

Morris was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Thomasine "Angel" Morris. He has four brothers, Donte, Blake, David and twin Markieff, who plays in the NBA for the Washington Wizards.[1]

Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Morris was listed as the No. 10 power forward and the No. 29 player in the nation in 2008.[2]

College career

Morris attended the University of Kansas, where he majored in American studies.[1] He was named the 2010–11 Big 12 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year.[3] He also was named a second team All-American for his play in the 2010–11 basketball season by both the Associated Press and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and a third team All-America by Fox Sports.[4][5] On March 30, 2011, Morris was named to the ten-member John R. Wooden Award Men’s All American team.[6] Morris and his brother signed with a sports agent from Los Angeles, and announced that they would enter the 2011 NBA draft.[7]

Professional career

Houston Rockets (2011–2013)

Morris was selected by the Houston Rockets with the 14th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft, five minutes after his brother Markieff was taken with the 13th pick by the Phoenix Suns. He was assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League on January 2, 2012.[8] In his first game in the D-League on January 6, 2012, Morris recorded 33 points and 16 rebounds in a narrow 105–103 loss to the Dakota Wizards.[9] Morris returned to the Rockets on January 16, was reassigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on February 3, and returned to the Rockets again on February 20.[10]

After an injury to Patrick Patterson, Rockets head coach Kevin McHale named Morris the opening day starter at power forward for the 2012–13 season. When told he would be starting, Morris thought McHale was kidding, since he rarely played his rookie season and was hurt during the preseason.[11] During the course of the season, Morris was the backup power forward to Patterson, and started 17 games while Patterson was injured. His three-point shot was much improved from his rookie season, more than tripling the percentage from 12% to 38%.

Phoenix Suns (2013–2015)

On February 21, 2013, Morris was traded to the Phoenix Suns, reuniting him with his twin brother.[12][13] A day later, he played his first game with his brother in the last 6 minutes of a loss to the Boston Celtics, as he recorded 7 points, 2 steals, and a rebound, despite having no formal training from the Suns before entering the game. This marked the second time that twin brothers played for the same NBA team; Dick and Tom Van Arsdale also played together for the Suns during the 1976–77 season. On March 1, 2013, Morris scored 16 points to help the Suns defeat the Atlanta Hawks 92–87. He made four out of five three-point attempts. He went on to start alongside Markieff on March 10, 2013 against his former team, the Rockets, which made the Morris twins the first set of twin brothers to ever start for the same NBA team.[14]

On September 29, 2014, Morris signed a multi-year contract extension with the Suns.[15] In the Suns' 2014–15 season opener on October 29, 2014, Morris recorded 21 points in the 119–99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.[16] During the Suns' January 7 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Morris received a technical foul and was caught on national TV berating head coach Jeff Hornacek about the situation.[17] It resulted in Morris not playing for the rest of the game.[18] His other antics during his final season with the Suns and afterwards, though, led to AZCentral.com labeling him one of Arizona's biggest sports villains.[19]

On February 6, 2015, Morris recorded his first career double-double with career highs of 34 points and 12 rebounds in a 100–93 win over the Utah Jazz.[20] His double-double off the bench marked him as just the second player after Brook Lopez in 2014–15 to record a 30-point, 10-rebound game off the bench. The last Suns player to do it was Danny Manning in 1997.[21] In a March 22game against the Dallas Mavericks, the Morris twins had double-doubles in the same game for the first time in their professional careers.[22]

Detroit Pistons (2015–17)

Morris battling for the ball with his brother Markieff Morris of the Washington Wizards.

On July 9, 2015, Morris was traded to the Detroit Pistons, along with Reggie Bullock and Danny Granger, in exchange for a 2020 second-round draft pick.[23] He made his debut for the Pistons on October 27, 2015, in the team's season opener against the Atlanta Hawks. In 37 minutes of action as a starter, he recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds in a 106–94 win.[24] On April 1, 2016, he scored a season-high 31 points in a 98–89 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.[25] The Pistons finished the regular season as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 44–38 record, earning a playoff berth for the first time since 2009. In their first-round series against the top-seeded, eventual champion Cleveland Cavaliers, the Pistons were swept 4–0.

On February 3, 2017, Morris scored a career-high 36 points in a 116–108 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.[26] On February 28, Morris set a new career high with 37 points in a 120–113 overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers.[27]

Boston Celtics (2017–present)

On July 7, 2017, Morris was traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Avery Bradley and a 2019 second-round draft pick.[28] On March 31, 2018, he scored 25 points in a 110–99 win over the Toronto Raptors. It was his fourth straight game with at least 20 points, setting a career high.[29] In Game 4 of the second-round playoff series versus the Philadelphia 76ers, Morris tallied 17 points.[30]

Before the start of the 2018-19 NBA season, Morris replaced his old agency group with that of Rich Paul's Klutch Sports Group, joining his twin brother as clients for this sports agency.

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2011–12 Houston 1707.4.296.118.750.9.2.1.12.4
2012–13 Houston 541721.4.428.381.6534.1.9.5.38.6
2012–13 Phoenix 23616.1.405.308.4052.5.7.8.25.7
2013–14 Phoenix 82122.0.442.381.7613.91.1.9.29.7
2014–15 Phoenix 813525.2.434.358.6284.81.6.8.210.4
2015–16 Detroit 808035.7.434.362.7495.12.5.8.314.1
2016–17 Detroit 797932.5.418.331.7844.62.0.7.314.0
2017–18 Boston 542126.8.429.368.8055.41.3.6.213.6
Career 47023926.3.428.357.7314.41.5.7.311.2

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2016 Detroit 4436.0.468.389.8703.32.5.5.017.8
2018 Boston 19429.6.368.417.7125.41.1.4.312.4
Career 23830.7.385.411.7565.01.3.4.213.3

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2008–09 Kansas 352218.5.495.400.6044.71.11.0.37.4
2009–10 Kansas 363324.7.570.375.6606.11.0.9.312.8
2010–11 Kansas 383628.3.570.342.6887.61.6.8.617.2
Career 1099124.0.555.358.6606.21.3.9.412.6

Personal life

Morris is seven minutes younger than his twin brother, Markieff. He is a fan of his hometown Philadelphia Eagles while Markieff roots for the rival Dallas Cowboys.[31] His nickname is "Mook".[32] Morris and his girlfriend Amber Soulds gave birth to a son, Marcus Thomas Morris, Jr., on July 20, 2018.[33]

The Morris brothers and former teammates Goran and Zoran Dragić all briefly played for the Suns during the fourth quarter of the team's January 2, 2015 112–96 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. It marked the first time in the NBA's history that two pairs of brothers were on the court for the same team at the same time.[34] On February 26, 2012, after watching the final Border War basketball match between Kansas and Missouri, the state of Kansas filed battery charges against Morris and another assailant, Julius K. Harris, for punching an employee of the Cave, a bar and nightclub in Lawrence, Kansas. Morris and Harris entered a diversion agreement for the battery charge, with Morris paying a $300 diversion fee, $60 in court fees, and agreeing not to come in contact with the victim or The Cave for one year.[35]

On January 24, 2015, Marcus and Markieff Morris were involved in two aggravated assault cases as five different men (including the twins and former Baltimore Ravens safety Gerald Bowman) allegedly assaulted 36-year-old Eric Hood outside the Nina Mason Pulliam Recreation Center in Phoenix, Arizona.[36][37] Hood mentored the Morris twins from high school until the end of their college careers; the brothers assaulted Hood for "sending an inappropriate text message" to their mother. The case against the Morris brothers was first brought on August 3, 2015;[38] the trial concluded on October 3, 2017, with the twins and Gerald Bowman found not guilty and the accused Julius Kane and Christopher Melendez Jr. confessing their guilt on September 2017. In spite of the resolution the incident was considered a catalyst for the Suns trading Marcus to the Pistons on July 9, 2015[39] and a factor in dealing his brother to the Washington Wizards on February 18, 2016.[40]

References

  1. 1 2 University of Kansas. "Player Bio: Marcus Morris". Kansas Athletics. Archived from the original on September 3, 2011. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Rivals.com". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  3. ↑ Kansas' Marcus Morris named Big 12 Player of the Year The Sporting News, March 7, 2011
  4. ↑ Goodman, Jeff (Mar 7, 2011). "Goodman's 2010–11 All-America teams". Fox Sports. Fox Sports Interactive Media. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  5. ↑ J-W Staff (March 29, 2011). "Marcus Morris tapped 2nd-team All-America". Lawrence Journal-World. The World Company. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
  6. ↑ Bedore, Gary (March 31, 2011). "Kansas basketball signee Naadir Tharpe praised". Lawrence Journal-World. The World Company. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
  7. ↑ J-W Staff Reports (2011-04-08). "Morris twins sign with agent, will declare for draft". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Rockets to send first-round draft pick Marcus Morris to D-League". 3 January 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  9. ↑ Williams, Clay (7 January 2012). "Marcus Morris impresses in 1st D-League game". KGBT. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  10. ↑ "Marcus Morris recalled from D-League; Cole Aldrich replaces Nick Collison for a night - 'Hawks in the NBA - KUsports.com". www2.kusports.com. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  11. ↑ "Marcus Morris gets starting nod in place of injured Patterson". 31 October 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  12. ↑ "SUNS ACQUIRE MARCUS MORRIS - THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE PHOENIX SUNS". www.nba.com. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  13. ↑ Houston Rockets trade Marcus Morris to Phoenix Suns
  14. ↑ Info, ESPN Stats &. "Morris twins started for Suns tonight...first twins to start for a team in NBA history". Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  15. ↑ "Suns Sign Marcus and Markieff Morris to Extensions - Phoenix Suns". Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  16. ↑ "Lakers at Suns". Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  17. ↑ mike sham (7 January 2015). "Marcus Morris technical and yelling at Jeff Hornacek (1-7-15)". Retrieved 17 November 2017 – via YouTube.
  18. ↑ "Marcus Morris gets in shouting match with Jeff Hornacek". Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  19. ↑ Joseph, Andrew (February 12, 2016). "The 10 biggest villains in Arizona sports". AZCentral.com. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Jazz at Suns". Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  21. ↑ "Phoenix Suns down Utah Jazz on strength of Marcus Morris' 34 points". Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  22. ↑ "Phoenix Suns Game Notes" (PDF). NBA.com. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 26, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Detroit Pistons Acquire Marcus Morris, Reggie Bullock And Danny Granger From Phoenix". NBA.com. July 9, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Pistons vs Hawks". Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  25. ↑ "Mavericks vs Pistons". Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  26. ↑ "Morris, Leuer lead Pistons over Timberwolves 116-108". ESPN.com. February 3, 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  27. ↑ "Morris, Pistons outlast Portland 120-113 in OT". ESPN.com. February 28, 2017. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  28. ↑ "Boston Celtics Acquire Marcus Morris". NBA.com. July 7, 2017. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  29. ↑ "Morris scores 25 as Celtics beat East-leading Raptors 110-99". ESPN.com. March 31, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  30. ↑ "Celtics' Marcus Morris: Second-unit high scoring total in Game 4 loss". CBS Sports. May 7, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  31. ↑ "Q&A with Marcus Morris". THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE HOUSTON ROCKETS. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  32. ↑ "Morris Twins Get Fan-Decided Tattoos". NBA.com. September 16, 2014. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  33. ↑ Butler, Alex (July 20, 2018). "Celtics' Marcus Morris welcomes newborn son, predicts he'll make the Hall of Fame". upi.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  34. ↑ "76ers at Suns". Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  35. ↑ "Ex-KU basketball player Marcus Morris enters diversion agreement for battery charge". KUsports.com. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  36. ↑ "Suns' Morris twins charged with felony assault". Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  37. ↑ http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2017/09/12/aggravated-assault-trial-begins-marcus-markieff-morris-twins-phoenix/657369001/
  38. ↑ "Morris assault case could extend to late in season". Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  39. ↑ http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/heat-index/2015/07/02/markieff-morris-reacts-to-suns-trade-of-marcus-morris/29634811/
  40. ↑ "Wizards get Markieff Morris from Suns at deadline". Retrieved 17 November 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.