BOSTON – The debut of Marcus Morris will have to wait at least one more game, according to Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens.
Stevens wanted Marcus Morris to get at least one practice in before making his debut with the Celtics, a goal that was achieved – sort of – when he joined the Celtics’ Gatorade League Affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, for a scrimmage in Waltham on Monday.
“He played for a long time, a lot of five-on-five which was really good,” Stevens said. “He’ll join us for practice tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”
Morris arrived later than any of his teammates for training camp while he and his brother Markieff Morris (who plays for Washington) were in Phoenix on trial for assault charges stemming from an incident in January of 2015.
Both were acquitted on October 3, with Marcus Morris joining the Celtics on October 5.
He would appear in one preseason game, and has been sidelined for the first six regular season games while recovering from left knee soreness that he had prior to arriving for training camp.
Stevens explains why the Celtics have been so cautious with giving Morris the green light to play this season.
Boston Celtics
“One of the things that we just didn’t want to do is go back and forth all year,” Stevens said. “So, he’s improved a great deal. We’ll see how it feels tomorrow. We’re excited about his progress, and he’s excited about his progress which is good.”