Darius Morris came to the Sixers this past summer in free agency. The former backup Los Angeles Lakers point guard said the opportunity to get more playing time was appealing and so was the chance to impart NBA wisdom to rookie PG Michael Carter-Williams.
“I want to come out here, play and compete and help the team win, whether I am coming off the bench backing him up or whatever it may be,” Morris said. “I am not really worried about that [starting]. It is a long season. They drafted him. I think he is a great player.
“There is no vet here at the point guard position, so me having starts in the league with the Lakers and playoff appearances, there is a lot I can teach him.”
Morris has 17 career starts, including two in the playoffs last season against San Antonio.
Morris (6-4, 195) said he could have returned to the Lakers and that his agent also had conversations with the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers. Ultimately, Morris felt the Sixers were the best fit for him.
“Going into my third year, I just wanted an opportunity to compete,” Morris said. “With Steve Nash and Kobe (Bryant), there is a log jam in L.A. They are great guys, but I wanted more opportunity.”
That opportunity coincides with a rebuilding process, which in no way scared Morris off.
NBA
“When I went to Michigan, they were rebuilding with Coach (John) Beilein,” Morris said. “That first year was rough. Nobody wanted to go there. We were at the bottom of the Big Ten. Now they are on top. I think it is the same thing with Philly, I don’t think they will be down for long.”
Morris hopes to help with bringing the Sixers back to prominence. Head coach Brett Brown doesn’t exactly know where Morris fits just yet, but he is certain the guard will have an impact.
“I don’t know,” Brown said when asked of Morris’ role. “I tell you what, he brings a lot of energy and his pickup points baseline to baseline and his defense and pushing the ball. We have some people in the gym that you can see a bomb squad emerging as a second group, that if you needed to change up the tempo, play small ball and junk it up a little you could and create some energy. “
Sixers fan will quickly know who Morris is on the floor. He will be the player wearing a plastic mask on his face similar to the one Rip Hamilton has worn for so many years. That’s because Thaddeus Young’s forearm found Morris’ face in a pickup game last week, breaking Morris’ nose.
“I broke it on Monday, had surgery on Tuesday and then they took all the stitches out on Friday,” Morris said. “Now I have to wear a mask for about two months. That was my welcome to Philly.”