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Marcus Morris the Key to Surviving Without Al Horford

By Joshua Bateman

BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 8: Marcus Morris #13 of the Boston Celtics reacts against the Los Angeles Lakers on November 8, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 8: Marcus Morris #13 of the Boston Celtics reacts against the Los Angeles Lakers on November 8, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Marcus Morris will be the key to overcoming Al Horford’s injury

The Boston Celtics now know that Al Horford will be missing his second game in the concussion protocol, and this time they do not have a terrible Lakers team to bail them out of an awful performance. The Celtics have front court depth, but they clearly need something more than what happened against the Lakers to get their 11th straight.

No one on this team has close to the ability to replace Hoford’s impact by themselves. Brad Stevens will use the collective unit to try and replace that impact, but we know they are going to need an extra boost.

While Horford was in, the front court was already playing out of its mind. Aron Baynes and all the rookies have blown away expectations, and are having dynamic two way impacts. It would be unrealistic to expect any of them to elevate their game even further at this point, and losing out on Horford could hurt their overall impact.

There is, however, one top front court player that is yet to really show his impact. Marcus Morris is the only real option to bring a boost that was not there when Horford was playing. The Celtics have needed every bit of their great front court to keep this winning streak going, and without Horford what was already there is not going to be enough.

Morris is a new presence that can bring an added boost. It will not be the same kind of impact that Horford would bring, but he is the only one that can offer something that was not there before, and that can be used to make up for the inevitable problems with Horford out of the lineup.

Morris can also be the most dynamic and versatile player in the front court. He brings their size down, but they have proven that is something they can accommodate. Morris can stretch the floor and can score on the inside. He may not be do it as well or as efficiently as Horford, but he can help in those areas, and force defenses to have to account for him.

Morris needs to show us that he is a strong offensive player, and he needs to quickly make sure that he does not disrupt anything around him. The Celtics do not have another player that improves his teammates like Horford, and at this point there is concern that Morris can bring his teammates down, especially with the time he has missed.

If the Celtics do not want to hurt too much from the loss of Horford, they need the other front court members to all keep up what they were doing. If that is possible, then Morris can come in and bring a spark that was not there before, and make sure that Kyrie Irving does not have to take on an impossible amount of responsibility.

Morris needs to be that bully in the paint that he is appealing to, and he absolutely has to hit his open shots. The biggest upside is if Morris can create some offense, especially in the paint. Unfortunately, it may be a bit too early to expect that from Morris. That being said, Stevens will have to try something if the team is performing like they did against the Lakers.

Morris is yet to really take on a full and proper role with the Celtics, but that will change with Horford out. He will be getting a full minutes load, and this may be his highest usage stretch of the season. This is Morris’ opportunity to show Stevens that he is indispensable to the team, and he needs to be one of the most prominent front court players on the team.

They are more challenging than the Lakers, but the Hornets are a team the Celtics should still be able to beat despite the injuries. They will not get that victory by playing as a bunch of individuals and it is more than just Morris coming in and being effective in his areas.

Horford did too much to bring everyone together on both ends, to expect things to be okay without him. Morris needs to bring some benefits to his teammates, even if it as simple as floor spacing, and drawing some double teams or positive match ups in the post.

Next: Horford tp Miss Second Straight Game

A lot of different players will have to step up to replace Horford, but Morris is the only one that can bring a new boost that was cannot be accounted for while looking at what this front court has done in the past.

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