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DENVER -- The Pacers decided in September that Monte Morris was the veteran point guard they wanted to give them another trustworthy option at the position with All-Star Tyrese Haliburton out or the season, but Morris' body didn't cooperate.
In the season's first week after point guards Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell, and high-scoring wing Bennedict Mathurin had gone down, the Pacers decided they wanted to take another look at Morris, but again his body wasn't quite ready.
Now with his right calf finally healed, the Pacers signed Morris to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract Thursday and brought him to Denver for their four-game western road trip.
The Pacers were prepared to sign Morris in the week leading up to training camp, but their medical evaluation found that he had a strained calf and wouldn't be fully healthy for training camp so they elected to go with veteran Delon Wright. Wright was released after suffering a head injury in a collision with Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jaylen Clark. The Pacers signed veteran Cameron Payne but cut him just before the roster cutoff deadline.
In the first week of the season in Dallas before a game against the Mavericks, the Pacers held a workout including Morris, guard Mac McClung and forward Cody Martin. They decided Morris needed some conditioning ramp-up and signed McClung, then later signed Martin on a 10-day contract. They waived McClung on Thursday to clear space for Morris.
"Veteran point guard, lot of experience," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of Morris. "We need depth at that position right now and we will need it. He was the guy we wanted initially. An injury prevented him from coming in at the beginning of camp. He's recovered fully and he's here and we're looking forward to having him."
Morris said he didn't even know he had a calf injury until he was evaluated by Pacers doctors and an MRI found the injury. He said he thought he just had some muscle tightness. He returned to his home in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and worked on rehabbing the injury at a facility in Ann Arbor that works closely with University of Michigan athletes and noticed as he was working through it that the injury was more severe than he realized.
"It's just been a lot of rehab," Morris said. "And just when I got cleared trying to hit the ground running and staying ready as possible."
The 30-year-old Morris is averaging 9.5 points and 3.6 assists per game over his eight-year NBA career, which includes five seasons with the Nuggets. He thinks the Pacers' uptempo style and pressure defense should be a good fit for him.
"They play fast," Morris said. "They play with a lot of swagger and toughness. It's a great group. I think I can fit in just bringing the ball up and playing fast. Just another crack at it, another opportunity. I'm just thankful for it."
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Monte Morris is the point guard the Pacers wanted
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In the season's first week after point guards Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell, and high-scoring wing Bennedict Mathurin had gone down, the Pacers decided they wanted to take another look at Morris, but again his body wasn't quite ready.
Now with his right calf finally healed, the Pacers signed Morris to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract Thursday and brought him to Denver for their four-game western road trip.
The Pacers were prepared to sign Morris in the week leading up to training camp, but their medical evaluation found that he had a strained calf and wouldn't be fully healthy for training camp so they elected to go with veteran Delon Wright. Wright was released after suffering a head injury in a collision with Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jaylen Clark. The Pacers signed veteran Cameron Payne but cut him just before the roster cutoff deadline.
In the first week of the season in Dallas before a game against the Mavericks, the Pacers held a workout including Morris, guard Mac McClung and forward Cody Martin. They decided Morris needed some conditioning ramp-up and signed McClung, then later signed Martin on a 10-day contract. They waived McClung on Thursday to clear space for Morris.
"Veteran point guard, lot of experience," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of Morris. "We need depth at that position right now and we will need it. He was the guy we wanted initially. An injury prevented him from coming in at the beginning of camp. He's recovered fully and he's here and we're looking forward to having him."
Morris said he didn't even know he had a calf injury until he was evaluated by Pacers doctors and an MRI found the injury. He said he thought he just had some muscle tightness. He returned to his home in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and worked on rehabbing the injury at a facility in Ann Arbor that works closely with University of Michigan athletes and noticed as he was working through it that the injury was more severe than he realized.
"It's just been a lot of rehab," Morris said. "And just when I got cleared trying to hit the ground running and staying ready as possible."
The 30-year-old Morris is averaging 9.5 points and 3.6 assists per game over his eight-year NBA career, which includes five seasons with the Nuggets. He thinks the Pacers' uptempo style and pressure defense should be a good fit for him.
"They play fast," Morris said. "They play with a lot of swagger and toughness. It's a great group. I think I can fit in just bringing the ball up and playing fast. Just another crack at it, another opportunity. I'm just thankful for it."
Get IndyStar's Pacers coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Pacers Update newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Monte Morris is the point guard the Pacers wanted
Continue reading...
