Boston Celtics: Can Marcus Morris Adjust to a New Role This Season?

1) Change Shot Profile

The biggest change Morris will have to make and one that will take some getting used to is understanding what and where constitutes a good shot in his new offensive role.

Last season, Boston needed him to operate more as focal-point, an offensive creator. This season, Morris needs to shift some of his shots from out of the mid-range to beyond the three-point line.

Morris attempted almost as many mid-range field goals attempts as three-pointers last season (281 to 306), despite being significantly more efficient from behind the arc. On plays like this, there’s no reason Morris shouldn’t pop out to the three-point line instead of settling into the mid-range when he shot 37.9 percent from deep.

As more of a secondary scorer this season, Morris should be able to rely less on post up isolations to do his damage and play more off Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford to get open three-pointers. Morris has noted his time in the off season working on his catch-and-shoot 3’s, and the early returns in preseason were promising.

If Morris can push a few of those long two’s behind the arc, or force a few more plays deep into the paint, he will not only become a more efficient scorer, he will make himself a better fit alongside the Celtics stars.