Over his nine year career, Marcus Morris has gotten a reputation for being one of the tougher players in the NBA. The No. 14 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft out of Kansas even made headlines earlier this season when he said he wants to bring the "old school Knicks" mentality to the team.
Before the Knicks' game against the Boston Celtics on Friday night, head coach David Fizdale spoke about Morris' leadership and what he does for the team.
"His leadership has been unbelievable," Fizdale said. "I just didn't know that about him going into it. I knew he was a tough guy, and I knew he could play. The way he's been leading has just been really unbelievable. One of the better leaders I've been around in this game. The way he approaches the guys, the way he never goes off on the guys, he just always kind of calls it for what it is. He never does it where he's pointing fingers. He always owns it first and then tries to make sure he's leading the group."
Morris signed a one-year, $15 million deal with the Knicks this summer, and has played well for the team through five games this season. He's averaging 13.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game in 32.8 minutes, in addition to shooting a career-high 38.1 percent from three this season.
Before coming to New York, Morris spent his time in Houston, Toronto, Phoenix, Detroit and Boston. Most of those roles involved Morris coming off the bench, as he's started just 297 of his 550 career games. However, he has started all five of the Knicks' games this season.
"It's been a real thrill to have him," Fizdale said.
David Fizdale on Marcus Morris' leadership:
- Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) November 1, 2019
"One of the better leaders I've been around in this game...He never does it where he's pointing fingers. He always owns it first and then tries to make sure he's leading the group" pic.twitter.com/qpSunkkCcg
