Marcus Morris has been doing a great job for the Boston Celtics, but he can be more valuable on the second unit right now
The Boston Celtics still have a relatively unsettled rotation. The starting unit is in a good place. They are set in stone with Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford, but that last spot it still switching between Aron Baynes and Marcus Morris.
They play that position very differently, so Brad Stevens often uses whichever is better suited for the matchup. They have also been very cautious with Morris’ knee, and that may have lead to more responsibility for Baynes.
Right now, Morris has looked like the more impactful player. His ability to score is incredibly valuable, and the starting unit needs help on offense right now. That being said, the second unit offense is in a dire situation, and Morris is the only option to help them.
His shot selection may not be ideal, but Morris has the mentality and the ability to go out and get buckets, especially when he is doing it against favorable second unit matchups. Morris is the kind of player that will want to be on the front lines, playing with the best players in the most important situations, but he needs to be able to adjust.
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The reality of this team right now is the second unit may not survive if they do not get a scoring boost. They do not have a single player that is a great shooting threat, and Morris is the only one who can change that. He can be the focal point of that offense, and can embrace the play making of Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier better than any other option.
There is still potential for the young second unit to grow, so this does not have to be permanent. Stevens has no problem changing his rotations throughout the season, so this could just be a quick fix until the rest of the unit comes around.
In any case, the second unit needs someone like Morris right now, and that could make a big difference in stopping the crazy runs they have been giving up all season long. The Celtics need to maintain consistency throughout a game, and the offensive slumps of the second unit have been a big part of that problem.
Morris will not instantly fix the offense, but he can come in a stall some of those runs, and help maintain the damage that the starting unit does. This also does not mean that Morris will not play with the starting unit. He can still get important minutes, but the Celtics want him to be out there when there are not many offensive options.
First of all, as good as Morris is, they do not want him taking too many opportunities away from the rest of the starters, who are much more efficient finishers. Second of all, they want someone to take some of the opportunities away from Smart and Rozier, because of how inefficient they are. The problem right now is there those two do not have other options to go to on the second unit, and feel as though they need to do it all by themselves.
With Morris there, he will take off some of that pressure. He will be adding his own scoring, but he could also help the other around him. He will generate more space and draw in more defenders than anyone else on that unit, and the rest of the players around him desperately need every bit of space.
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There may not no quick fix for the second unit offense, but it is a problem that needs to be addressed. Right now, Morris is looking like the best option to get inserted into the second unit, and provide a boost that will give them some much needed balance.