76ers vs. Pistons: Marcus Morris Sums Up Recent Success to One Factor

When it comes to the Philadelphia 76ers’ nightly rotation, the head coach, Nick Nurse, won’t commit to a full set just yet. While he has the starting five figured out, along with multiple reserves who are guaranteed to remain regulars, there are a handful of guys on the bubble who are looking to prove themselves.

Former Los Angeles Clippers veteran Marcus Morris is among the group of players who are fighting to keep his minutes. When he first arrived via trade, Morris was on the outside of the Sixers’ rotation looking in.

As Robert Covington and Nic Batum received an honest look at first, Morris collected three DNPs in his first nine outings with the Sixers. In the matchups he did play, he averaged fewer than eight minutes on the court, exceeding ten minutes of playing time just once.

After Morris picked up a 16-minute shift in Philly’s shorthanded loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 22, Morris consistently collected minutes moving forward. Now, in the Sixers’ previous nine games, Morris has seen the court for 17 minutes per game.

On Friday against the Detrpit Pistons, the veteran put on one of his best offensive performances this season, knocking down five of his eight shots from the field, posting a perfect 5-5 from beyond the arc. He led the Sixers’ bench in scoring with 15 points.

Following the Sixers’ second-straight dominant victory over the Pistons, Morris summed up his success to a straightforward factor: consistent playing time.

“Probably just having consistent minutes,” Morris said of his frequent success lately. “Just figuring out my spots. Like I said, I’m a veteran from day one when I got here. I said, ‘I was a veteran’, and obviously you guys knew that. Just being able to get consistent minutes and figuring out how guys play, where to be at, and things like that, has definitely helped me. And obviously, making the shots.”

Since the start of December, Morris has averaged seven points off the bench for the Sixers. Although he’s attempting just five shots per game, he’s knocking down shots with consistency, draining 56 percent of his field goals and 63 percent of his threes.

At this point, Morris’s sample size with the Sixers is still a small one, but he’s a seasoned NBA veteran who has already proven a lot in the league. Nurse will likely keep the door open for others to win some minutes in the rotation, but Morris is making it difficult to look elsewhere as he continues putting together decent showings.