INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — The Cleveland Cavaliers recently signed forward Marcus Morris Sr. to a 10-day contract. The addition seemed to highlight an effort to bring a tough veteran leader into the room of young players gearing up for a playoff run. Now in Cleveland, Morris plans to embody that exact role while teaching his new teammates an important lesson.
Morris played his first game as a Cavalier on Monday against the Pacers. He used that game to get a feel for his new teammates. It didn't take long for the veteran forward, though.
"It's very impressive. He came out and I felt like he gelled immediately, but that's a testament to him. He's been around for a while. He's one of the super vets at this point, so he knows how to play basketball," said center Jarrett Allen.
In that first game in wine and gold, gelling with the team quickly turned into leadership, with Morris already coaching up guys on the court.
"At first he wanted to feel it out, you don't want to overstep your boundaries, but as the game went on he started to talk more, started to try to get us in the right positions on the court and just talk to us," Allen said.
Perhaps what made the transition onto the Cavs so easy was his background knowledge of the team. After being waived in February following a trade to the Spurs, Morris had a few weeks away from any team. In that time, Morris wasn't focused on watching much basketball—except for one team.
Morris has been watching the Cavs recently, for two reasons: he has a pre-established relationship with head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, and because he feels like this team had a need that he can help fill and thought the Cavs might come calling.
"I don't even watch basketball that much, but I have a good relationship with the coach, with J.B., so when it was a thought that I could get to play, I just started watching the team, seeing where I could fit at so when I do come or if I was to come, it'd be an easy transition," Morris said. "Knowing a couple of guys that play on the team, it was just an easy fit."
With one game under his belt, Morris is ready for more. His 10-day contract could certainly turn into a longer tenure with Cleveland, but no matter how long he's with the Cavs, Morris plans to impart lessons on his new teammates that they will no doubt need in just a few short weeks.
Playoff-level girt.
"It's a good group, man. I feel like, this is no knock to the group, I feel like adding somebody like me gives them a little more of an edge, more of a comfortability on the court to be able to talk some ****, get rowdy and that's what the playoffs consist of. I've been in playoffs a lot," Morris said.
Morris is known for his ability to answer back to trash talk, and to chirp a little on his own. He plans to do that in wine and gold, but more importantly, get the rest of the Cavs to do the same.
If Morris has his way, gone are the days of letting opposing teams get in faces boasting about plays or wins, and gone are the days of the Cavs quietly celebrating their own successes. He hasn't set a specific target yet, but the veteran forward has every intention on firing up the guys in Cleveland.
"You're definitely going to see me putting a fire in them. Just the confidence man, just talking ****. I love that, when you do some nice ****, let them know," Morris said. "We're here to play. We're laid back and the team's laid back but we're trying to get some **** done. So, I'm excited, man. I'm happy. Just keep the techs down and we straight."
Morris gets his next shot at teaching that fire in-game on Monday evening as the Cavs host the Miami Heat. And should all go to Morris' plan, there will be plenty of heat on the court from here on out.
