Rockets' Marcus Morris to the D-League
by Patrick Harrel on Jan 2, 2012 11:29 PM CST
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PrintGoing into training camp, some said that Marcus Morris could be starting at the 3 in a month's time. That is not going to be the case.
With Morris' playing time going to Patrick Patterson, Chandler Parsons, and Terrence Williams, the Rockets have made the decision to send Morris to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the D-League to allow him to play full time, Jonathan Feigen reports.
Here's what Daryl Morey had to say about the move:
Fortunately, we're a team it's very hard to come in as a rookie and play. We like all our young players to go through a process before they get on the floor. Marcus is someone with very high level of talent and someone we feel will benefit greatly from playing and working on his game."
Morey continues on to say:
Our focus for Marcus is to work on his defense and his offense at the three.
They are apparently going to try to get Morris some more work at the small forward position, his likely future spot. Because of his 6'8" frame, Morris would likely struggle to take advantage of his advanced post game as a power forward but could create myriad mismatches as a small forward, hence the move. In the end, Morris' success in the NBA will depend on his ability to defend the quicker threes that are sprouting up in the league.
Years ago, this demotion to the D-League would be an embarrassment for a lottery selection. After seeing Patrick Patterson, Aaron Brooks, and others take the trip down to the Rio Grande Valley, it's clear that the stigma is gone. Let's hope that Morris flourishes as he should in the low-pressure environment.
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Not a surprise
He has lost his playing time and it seems like every year we send our first rounder down to get court time.
by wdh001 on Jan 2, 2012 11:32 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Not a surprise.
Good move to send him down.
"Hakeem couldn't kick your ass cuz you were too
close kissin his!"- Sir Charles to Kenny Smith.
They're just sending him down to make room for DeMarcus Cousins.
(I kid.)
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Isn't that what you wanted?
DeMarcus Cousins apparently wants out of Sacramento. The Rockets need a center for the future. Let the rabid speculation begin.
Hoisted
by his own petard lol
flayed ones stealth mode
"Fleshling! Do not shoot! For I am one of you fleshy things. It is I. Your Uncle Stan. Can't you tell by the long strips of fleshy substances covered in bodily fluids? Trust me! I have fleeeeeeeeesh."
Because of limited practice time I think they should keep sending down whoever is not active.
All these young players need playing time and some development work.
Not really a suprised
With the lock-out and the coaching change, I wonder if RGV has the same vertical integration it use to have with the Rockets in term of style and plays. Although McHale hasnt really gone away from the guard oriented offense, and some high post concepts and screen seems to still remain with the first unit.
btw Greg Smith also joined the RGV not long ago and look good so far.
Nick Nurse the new coach used to coach the Energy, which didnt have a direct NBA team associates, so he hasnt really had to dealt with the need to “prioritize” big league assignments before. Usually it’s a no brainer because the big league assignee are often automatically the most talented player, but it’s interesting because RGV seems to have a lot of forwards this year
Marcus Morris is their most talented forward
Look at what Jeff Adrien, one of the top 3 or 4 players in the NBDL last year has done in the NBA. It’s a completely different playing field.
Check out The Dream Shake.
by Patrick Harrel on Jan 3, 2012 1:15 AM CST up reply actions
Oh that's no doubt
I’m more interested how Nick Nurse will integrate the Rocket’s needs into his coaching since he hasnt really dealt with a situation like the focus of a single affiliate. Earl Clark was the last lottery pick to get sent down to a team he coached, who put up great numbers down there, but I wouldnt say he necessary learned anything that helped him.
Good news is he seems to delegate a lot of shots to his forwards since RGV lack the multiple scoring guards it used to have, so Morris will have a lot of chances
by NVP on Jan 3, 2012 1:55 AM CST up reply actions
I think this is a very good move.
Let him get some burn so he doesn’t get bored. Hopefully he can tear it up down in the RGV.
I hate david stern!
Why not send Flynn and Thabeet also if they aren't going to get time.
Surely you can find time in a compressed season for these guys. Got some nice match ups at home at the end of this month for instance.
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Can only send players in first two yrs of rookie contract
After that,you’d need player’s permission.
I think this will be good for him…
… he can work on his game and he can feel less pressure and just play.
He won’t get better sitting on the bench. He needs to log in the time on
the court and that ain’t happening with the Rockets for a while…
.
I had to stop arguing with drunks, Steeler fans, and all other fools.
It was making my brick wall jealous...
.
Dedicated to the "Pride of the Steelers"
.
Ummmm
Why have they picked chandler parsons over morris. He has been solid but marcus scored 20 in minimal minutes in that preseason game. I thought that Morris was thought to be a lot more talented than parsons hence taking him 24 picks earlier. I would much rather morris at the 3 or even 4 than parsons. I just dont understand…
Scoring really hasn't been the problem.
I suppose that McHale etc think that a big wing defender is more useful.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
On Morris scoring
His best scoring preseason game came from specific focus to get him the ball. Not necessarily isolation, but playmates looked for him specifically. He was also hot from 3 pt, which contribute to his point total. Neither are necessarily going to happen in game at this point of his career.
Though the sample size has been small, Parsons has so far been more proactive in term of movements and rebounding.
And I probably rather they go one at a time, so the coaching team down the can really help focus and refine what the one player needed
by NVP on Jan 3, 2012 11:24 AM CST via Android app up reply actions
You didn't get the memo?
We’re not allowed to use the preseason for anything when it comes to evaluations. You are only allowed to use the first 3-4 games to start evaluating players on a permanent basis.
say bros
how do ppl get on da front page?? i wanna do dat ish dat would be tight…..jus sayin…….but ya bros iuno i dnt really like dat man morris dat much……i dnt hate da man but i feel dat he dont bring dat rocket energy dat we have…..he kinda plain…..ya feel me??? also i kno sum ppl dat kno dat man an he gots a bad attitude an aint even wanna come to dis team ….but dats jus talk in da locker room or sum ish…..
////front page wit my face on it…..Priceless\\\\\
Ima d*ck so i shouldnt be dat hard to swallow
by mitmil22 on Jan 3, 2012 8:53 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
Well, if he didn't want to come to this team
he’s going to get his wish by going to your Rio Grande Vipersssssss!
"Listen here you beautiful bitch, I'm about to fuck you up with some truth" - Kenny Powers
ill see what i can do bro
Ima d*ck so i shouldnt be dat hard to swallow
by mitmil22 on Jan 3, 2012 12:46 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
say bro
how do u post a pic in the comments?
put a D*ck in ur ear and F*ck wat u hurd
by mitmil22 on Jan 3, 2012 1:20 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Gotta have it hosted up on a site somewhere.
picasa, twitter, imageshack, photobucket, that kind of thing.
Good decision.
Let him work on his game, hopes are still very high for Morris.
The bird is struggling out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy a world.
by Stupendous Man on Jan 3, 2012 9:37 AM CST via mobile reply actions
His face in this pic
is the same one I see when he is on the floor. One of total and utter bewilderment. He shows flashes but then seems to lose focus like a dog that stops to lick his sack in the middle of playing catch. Hopefully his time down there will get him engaged.
"Listen here you beautiful bitch, I'm about to fuck you up with some truth" - Kenny Powers
by A.J. G on Jan 3, 2012 9:58 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
Good move, he needs some more development.
Dallas and Houston fan making it work. Gig 'em!
uhhh, it's real simple
(a) Marcus Morris isn’t that good. (unlike Patterson, Brooks and others who benefitted from D-League exposure);
(b) Chandler Parsons has beaten him out for playing time. Chandler Parsons does not suck; and
© I do not care what spot he was drafted… it doesn’t guarantee playing time or a roster spot. Not for this team.
Don’t expect Morris to be the next Patterson.
Wait a minute, you’ve decided that Morris is a bust already after only FIVE total games?
Are you kidding? Morris wouldn’t be the first rookie to feel overwhelmed by the NBA early on.
That’s part of the reason now the D-League is around.
The guy needs to play a lot of minutes and lose the rookie jitters.
Jeez, let the poor guy have more than a few games before labeling him a bust. If he ever becomes anything like the player the Rockets believe he can be, you will wind up with egg on your face and I am sure many here will take great pleasure in forever reminding you of this post you made over & over again…
.
I had to stop arguing with drunks, Steeler fans, and all other fools.
It was making my brick wall jealous...
.
Dedicated to the "Pride of the Steelers"
.
by steeler-hater on Jan 3, 2012 12:46 PM CST up reply actions
* = “six total games”…
… not “five”.
.
I had to stop arguing with drunks, Steeler fans, and all other fools.
It was making my brick wall jealous...
.
Dedicated to the "Pride of the Steelers"
.
by steeler-hater on Jan 3, 2012 1:00 PM CST up reply actions
I'm not willing to jump to that conclusion
We have yet to really see him play the three. If he can’t stick there because of shoddy defense, his ceiling is very limited. But we just don’t have the data/evidence to justify that assertion. I wasn’t horribly jazzed about the pick either (it screamed meh to me), but I want to give him some time at the three because he could really be something there.
Check out The Dream Shake.
by Patrick Harrel on Jan 3, 2012 8:07 PM CST up reply actions
Makes sense
1)Patterson’s back,so McHale doesn’t need Morris anymore at PF
2)McHale’s in it to win it,and is tightening his rotation to those he thinks can help win now
3)Parsons has emerged as Rybo 2.0 w/semblance of an outside shot,so defending tweeners is covered
4)Morris needs major work at the SF position and having his confidence restored
Fire McHale...
he doesn’t like rookies and didn’t play Twill last game. He needs to go….
If you can feel them, they are real.
oh god
That would be terrible. Lakers fans think they can trade blake, walton and a second round pick for dwight Howard
by wdh001 on Jan 3, 2012 12:21 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
yes but i dont think our fans are that bad
Of course every fan base has some fans that look at their team with blinders on but I choose to listen to realistic fans more.
by wdh001 on Jan 3, 2012 12:28 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Wait til the mid season trade machine posts come out.
We had a few people trying to land Lebron James for Jared Jeffries and Jordan Hill back when people still pissed on Hill.
Dwight Howard for Hasheem Thabeet, Jeff Adrien, and the Knicks pick!
by mr. eggplant on Jan 3, 2012 12:50 PM CST up reply actions
The standard has been set (Albeit jokingly)!
The worst part is, someone will say “It’s great, they get a good pick to start rebuilding, potential in Thabeet, and a durable back up in Adrien!”
Have you ever spent significant time on Silver Screen and Roll?
I have. This site is nothing like that. SSR has writers who produce lovely works of analysis and then get comments like “Trade World Peace for DHo!”
I just assume most of the people who post that sort of thing here are kids and move on.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
by Xiane on Jan 3, 2012 2:43 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
At least the sense of entitlement is justified in New York and LA.
The league is geared towards their markets and given LA’s success I can’t say they shouldn’t expect to compete every year. Trust me, I spend plenty of time with fans across the internet and in personal interactions. There’s a reason I like fans from teams who don’t tend to win. Wizards fans are hilarious and delightfully defeated people.
Of course despite whatever help they do or don't get
New York remains a fairly worthless franchise. That may change, my money is on it not changing.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
You can't judge Morris after
four regular season games. You do not go from being a scorer and great player at Kentucky to not being good. If you look at the lineup he is the only rookie, plus he is switching positions from college(he dropped 20 pounds to help make the switch). There was no summer league for him to finally gets reps at the three, and of course the preseason was cut down, hurting him. This is a great move, and he will come back better. With Bud being so inconsistent, and a liability on defense, i still believe Morris will offer more at the three for us long term, unless we make a trade.
by since86rocketsfan on Jan 3, 2012 12:28 PM CST reply actions
So it's fine to hate on Thabeet and Hill?
Thabeet was good in college and he was a bust as soon as he stepped foot in Memphis according to most people. Hill got no benefit of the doubt when he was forced to switch to Center on the fly. I’m done trying to find reason out of this fan base…
You cannot compare Thabeet and Hill,
Memphis gave Thabeet years to try to improve his game, with no sucess. The Knicks wanted a chance to get Lebron, plus there coach really never gave Hill a chance and they traded him. He had to change his position like Morris had too for the better of the team. Hill struggled alot last year, but did not deserve hate, because unlike Thabeet he showed some signs of getting it, and it was his first year switching positions. Even though Hill has played well so far he must prove he can be consistent before i just say he is ready, thats why i see Dalembert starting because he has proved it for years.
by since86rocketsfan on Jan 3, 2012 12:58 PM CST up reply actions
Thanks you right,
and my point about him being the only rookie, i meant out of our coachs early rotatations. Veterans like Scola,Lowry, and Martin know there strengths and weaknesses, know the ref’s tendencies, and most important they know the other players tendencies that they are going against. This is all new to Morris, and the only way for him to improve is to get on the court, so this move will really help him, and like somebody else said it will help him gain confidence.
by since86rocketsfan on Jan 3, 2012 12:41 PM CST reply actions
Probably a good thing
It lets him play and learn the system (don’t forget, there were only a couple weeks of training camp), and lets the other young guys get more minutes in Houston.
Bottom line is Morris is a rookie who didn’t have the offseason he needed coming into this season…
… (IMO) it is WAY too early to even hint at him being a bust.
I’ve been on many sport talk forums & that kind of talk smacks of someone who makes statements like that once early on so later (if it does happen that said player is a failure) this person can say “see, I told he wouldn’t pan out”. Of course, if the player does get better, this person won’t ever mention how he put his foot in his mouth unless the others remember and won’t let him forget he said that…
.
I had to stop arguing with drunks, Steeler fans, and all other fools.
It was making my brick wall jealous...
.
Dedicated to the "Pride of the Steelers"
.
Sorry, I keep forgetting…
.
I had to stop arguing with drunks, Steeler fans, and all other fools.
It was making my brick wall jealous...
.
Dedicated to the "Pride of the Steelers"
.
by steeler-hater on Jan 3, 2012 2:32 PM CST up reply actions
Let's chill out guys.
Morris a good player, if he wasn’t he wouldn’t of been drafted in the first round # 14. Say he’s a bust go ahead, it’s been 4 Regular Season games and 2 Pre season games. It’s just stupid.. People weren’t saying Ppat was a bust when he was sent to The D-League. Aaron Brooks came from the D-League. Hell, Shannon Brown came from The Vipers.
So, let’s all chill out stop saying that he’s a bust after 6 games into the season. The Rockets believe that this is a good developmental move for Morris, and let’s stand by it.
Dallas and Houston fan making it work. Gig 'em!
uhhhh
Your logic makes little sense… there are plenty of shitty players that were drafted at #14 or earlier.
No one said Brooks or PatPat were busts when they went to D-League because they actually were good players. I’ve seen nothing from Morris in college or in his short stint with the Rockets that suggests he can compete with elite athletes at the NBA level (and every big game in college he disappeared).
I still cannot identify one single skill that Morris has (or claims to have) that would translate to the NBA level. He’s a tweener at PF… he’s not especially quick to play SF… he’s not an elite or even average shooter… he’s not able to create his own shot off the dribble… he’s not especially good at rebounding, defense or blocking shots… contrast that with Brooks, who always had elite speed and shooting range, and with Patterson, who was able to immediately step in and rebound and hit 15-17 foot jumpers with ease. Until Morris develops at least one NBA-level skill, he’s going to be perceived as a bust.
This wasn't the point I was trying to make..
I’m saying that give it time, don’t go crazy about a move to The D-League, he’ll come back to the team eventually. Patterson missed I think it was the first 30 or so games last year. So, calm down before you go throwing out the “bust” label. Call him a bust when we’re actually deep into the season not 6 games and less than a month from the start of Training Camps.
Just an FYI, I don’t think he’ll ever start on this team unless injuries happen, I expect him to be a solid system role player off the bench hitting shots created for him on plays and defend his man etc. etc.
Dallas and Houston fan making it work. Gig 'em!
I think we need to see more than 6 games before we apply any label to him, bust, brilliant pick, NBA bench player, whatever.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
college games still count?
Morris was out-classed in college every time he faced another decent frontcourt player.
adding on to grungedave's post above
shannon brown is an above-average athlete and a decent three-point shooter. the only reason he really came to the forefront is because the lakers lacked a decent backup SG.
He is not a bust. PERIOD
You cant expect a rookie to flow into the NBA with out traning camps or a summer league. I like that they are taking him to the Vipers to be developed as a SF. I agree he doesnt do any one thing above average but he call do a lot of things at an average level.
He has the size and range along with skill sets so be a big SF like Melo. Im not saying he is the next Melo, but I think he has a chance to be a 70% Melo in offense in 3-4 years, scoring 16-18 pts a game with like 6 rebounds as a SF.
Was anyone calling him a bust?
Check out The Dream Shake.
by Patrick Harrel on Jan 3, 2012 6:52 PM CST up reply actions
Yes. Read the posts.
Dallas and Houston fan making it work. Gig 'em!
Dave said he didnt like the pick from the start
I don’t think he’s calling him a bust based on a few glimpses of him.
Check out The Dream Shake.
by Patrick Harrel on Jan 3, 2012 8:09 PM CST up reply actions
Some people are though, and they shouldn't.
Dallas and Houston fan making it work. Gig 'em!
Even Jordan took a year or so to be special.
"Do not panic, all is well" Kevin Bacon in the parade scene in the movie Animal House
Last I looked we pull the Vipers strings
so he should get work at the three. What will be telling is that the D-League is typically undersized at every position. Having to guard small quick SFs should give everyone a good idea of how well Morris can do at that position. I might have to try to stream some games to see how he does defensively. If he can’t just bully them to score, then we have real issues. His ability to create his own shot against good defense and to guard quick wings will tell what he will do for the Rockets.
It has to be a bitch that Parsons is doing so well with the same limited time in uniform. That will motivate Morris or he will be trade bait.
I admit
Last week some one posted he would be sent down and I disagreed. Anyone got a good recipe for crow?
"Do not panic, all is well" Kevin Bacon in the parade scene in the movie Animal House
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