Anthony Morrow
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I figure that Monta Ellis and Steph Curry will get most of the minutes at the guard spots. Yes, they have Azubuike. But they also just got Charlie Bell (via trade) and will likely resign CJ Watson (also a resticted FA). I am just wondering how many minutes Morrow will see behind Ellis and Curry, and how much are the Warriors willing to ply to keep him as a back up? I am not saying that the Kings should offer him a ton of money, but a terrific shooter like Morrow would be a great fit next to Tyreke IMO.
I think they like Morrow more than CJ Watson - although they may try to keep both. We know Nellie (assuming he's retained by eventual new ownership) loves to run, gun and jack 3s. I read somewhere that W's over last five seasons have shot more 3s than any other NBA team by a wide margin and in volume percentages are the biggest gunners from 3-land in NBA history. Assuming they want to continue that style (again just losing Cory M.) means they need Anthony Morrow to fill it up more than ever. Hey, I'd love him in Sac (like you said on the cheap) but if Francisco Garcia comes back strong, Beno stays solid from mid-range and deep, Reke proves he can make a jump shot (I know a lot of "ifs") maybe we don't need to be so desperate for a top gunner like Morrow.
G-State restricted free agent Anthony Morrow has slew of interest, including Spurs, Celtics, Lakers, Blazers, Clips and Jazz, sources say.
http://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/17499224475
http://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/17499224475
Morrow is my first choice. The guy is just a terrific shooter averaging 46% from behind the arc for his short career. The Warriors are significantly under the cap, so it just depends on what their freeagent plans are. If they're planning on making a big splash in the market, then they might be reluctant to spend big on Morrow. So I'm not sure what it would take to pry him away. Personally I'd wait and see what other teams are offering and see if that fits into our economic scheme of things. Its not as though he's a flash in the pan. He's put up the same numbers for two years in a row. If we think he could be our SG for the future, then I say make a run at him. He's young and athletic and will only get better.
I like Morrow a lot. So much so that I would be willing to offer the "dreaded" mid level exception. He is exactly what the Kings need either as a starting 2 or sixth man off the bench. Lights out shooting, athletic enough to defend. Tons of energy. I think that he also fits well with Boston. A younger Ray Allen type of player.
That's not really fair to Ray, who aside form middling defense really did it all in his prime and could fill a boxscore.
I'm not wildly anto-Morrow as a backup SG type given hsi amazing shooting, but he would want more time than that, and I start to become considerably anti-Morrow as a starting SG type. He is a great shooter. And that's kind of where the conversation dies off. He is not a good passer/creater. He is not a good driver, and when he does its the no brainers. He almost never shoots a FT. His defense sucks, as does almost every other member of the Warriors. He showed up as one of the bottom 5 defenders in the NBA in that new odd stat "worst defenders against iso sets" (its odd in that I do not know how it is compiled, and am thus suspicious of its accuracy, although you'd obviously prefer a guy not show up there). He's a great shooter...but its hard to get done saying that what is really needed as a starting SG next to Reke is a Doug Christie who can shoot, and then coming up with the complete opposite of Doug in every way in a guy who doesn't really do anything BUT shoot. If you're going to go throw an MLE at somebody, throw it at Mike Miller, who is just as good a shooter but does so many other things as well (and adds a good lockerroom vet presence). You have to be real careful about overpaying for a one dimensional guy who's probably a platoon player.
I'm not wildly anto-Morrow as a backup SG type given hsi amazing shooting, but he would want more time than that, and I start to become considerably anti-Morrow as a starting SG type. He is a great shooter. And that's kind of where the conversation dies off. He is not a good passer/creater. He is not a good driver, and when he does its the no brainers. He almost never shoots a FT. His defense sucks, as does almost every other member of the Warriors. He showed up as one of the bottom 5 defenders in the NBA in that new odd stat "worst defenders against iso sets" (its odd in that I do not know how it is compiled, and am thus suspicious of its accuracy, although you'd obviously prefer a guy not show up there). He's a great shooter...but its hard to get done saying that what is really needed as a starting SG next to Reke is a Doug Christie who can shoot, and then coming up with the complete opposite of Doug in every way in a guy who doesn't really do anything BUT shoot. If you're going to go throw an MLE at somebody, throw it at Mike Miller, who is just as good a shooter but does so many other things as well (and adds a good lockerroom vet presence). You have to be real careful about overpaying for a one dimensional guy who's probably a platoon player.
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Yea, but we need to wait until summer league is over. You never know what gem we could have on are roster like Devan Downey who had good years in college and has heart ask Demarcus im sure he has some insight. He just lacked the measureables if he was 6'5 with blazing speed and jumped out of the roof he would of been a lottery pick. He is just a basketball player that could end up being a steal.
While it is obvious that Morrow's best attribute is his shooting, I think you are selling him short on the rest of his game. He is more than capable of creating his own shot and is a very good athlete so he should be able to play defense. I think the style of play of the Warriors makes it to truly judge what he can do. He wasn't asked to play defense (Don Nelson obviously is against any of his players trying to play defense), so it makes it difficult to decern whether or not he can actually play any. He also played in an offense that encouraged him to focus on his perimeter shooting. It was very common for all of the players on the Warriors to shoot 3s on a fastbreak instead of going all the way to the basket. Yet, there were times when Morrow showed he was very capable of getting to the basket when he wanted to.
Yeah I tend to agree with this post. Of course there's no way to prove that Morrow can play defense, but how he played on the Warriors shouldn't be an indictment on his defensive ability. He's young and he's a very good athlete. He has good length. His passing is the weakest part of his game. He handles the ball pretty well and does on many occasions create his own shot. He seldom drives to the basket, and I agree that I think it has more to do with Nellie's offense then his skill level. But its yet to be proved that he can do in on a regular basis.
We know he's a terrific shooter, and after watching him play quite a bit last year, I can honestly say that I don't remember him missing one wide open spot up shot. I mean he's almost automatic when left open. The question is, do you think he has enough overall talent to warrant a 4 year contract for decent money. Do you think he has the ability to bring the rest of his game up to the level it needs to be. He could be the SG of the future for the team. Personally I lean toward yes. But there are never any guarantee's.
We know he's a terrific shooter, and after watching him play quite a bit last year, I can honestly say that I don't remember him missing one wide open spot up shot. I mean he's almost automatic when left open. The question is, do you think he has enough overall talent to warrant a 4 year contract for decent money. Do you think he has the ability to bring the rest of his game up to the level it needs to be. He could be the SG of the future for the team. Personally I lean toward yes. But there are never any guarantee's.
Though I'm not sold completely on the notion that Morrow is good with his dribble drive game or his defense, I agree with this. He's a young player with good tools, still trying to find and fill out his role in this league with a lot going against him when you consider the volatile environment he's trying to develop in. All I'm saying is we give him the benefit of the doubt to prove he's more than just a shooter, because he's at least young and athletic enough to do just that.
A lot of people (rightfully) pointed out that Stephen Curry's ROY push and gaudy statline were distorted by the bizarro world of Nellieball. That he was part of a system that emphasized quick and reckless shooting and no emphasis on defense. Morrow was part of this system too -- only he had a far shorter leash on his ability to freelance than Curry was gifted with in the second half of the season when Nellie decided to finally stop jerking his minutes around and hand the reins over.
If we're going to cite Nellieball as an asterisk for boosting Curry's play, the distortion excuse has to go both ways. It's highly possible that Nellieball has distorted Morrow's game as well. You only have to look at development trainwrecks like Anthony Randolph and Brandan Wright disintegrating on the bench to see that Don Nelson is awful with player development. As a fan of Ekpe Udoh, I hope Larry Ellison buys this team soon so he can do everyone in the Bay Area a favor and put Nellie out of his misery before he warps Udoh's mind too much.
This isn't meant to totally displace blame on Morrow's development though -- he has a long way to go to prove he belongs in this league as more than just a spot player. I just think it's too early to peg him as a certain type of player. Let's get this kid on to a team that demands a more rounded type of game rather than one that caters to Don Nelson's sanity before we put the final stamp on the guy. I'd be more than happy to see the Kings be that team for him.
A lot of people (rightfully) pointed out that Stephen Curry's ROY push and gaudy statline were distorted by the bizarro world of Nellieball. That he was part of a system that emphasized quick and reckless shooting and no emphasis on defense. Morrow was part of this system too -- only he had a far shorter leash on his ability to freelance than Curry was gifted with in the second half of the season when Nellie decided to finally stop jerking his minutes around and hand the reins over.
If we're going to cite Nellieball as an asterisk for boosting Curry's play, the distortion excuse has to go both ways. It's highly possible that Nellieball has distorted Morrow's game as well. You only have to look at development trainwrecks like Anthony Randolph and Brandan Wright disintegrating on the bench to see that Don Nelson is awful with player development. As a fan of Ekpe Udoh, I hope Larry Ellison buys this team soon so he can do everyone in the Bay Area a favor and put Nellie out of his misery before he warps Udoh's mind too much.
This isn't meant to totally displace blame on Morrow's development though -- he has a long way to go to prove he belongs in this league as more than just a spot player. I just think it's too early to peg him as a certain type of player. Let's get this kid on to a team that demands a more rounded type of game rather than one that caters to Don Nelson's sanity before we put the final stamp on the guy. I'd be more than happy to see the Kings be that team for him.
He is 25 -- not that young in a developmental sense. In fact that's about the fuzzy cutoff age where guys just are who they are. Nor didd he make any real advances in his game in Yr 2. Per minute it was same ole.
And he will NEVER, and I do mean NEVER, have it as easy as he has had it the last two years under Nellieball. We all make fun of Nellie, and for good reason. But his entire system is designed around making things absolutley as easy as he can on the Anthony Morrows of the world on offense. Its all open court, shoot whenever the rock hits your hands, run to your favorite spots every time, and don't worry about what that may do to the transition defense, because we ain't playing any. Nellie still has a job for a reason. For all the silliness, he runs the preeminent little man offense in the enitre NBA, and one that routinely makes scrubs look like stars.
Morrow will always be able to shoot. That alone should guarantee him a long term spot in the NBA, and if he came cheap and without expectations would make using a roster spot for him reasonable. But he's 25, playing for an ideal coach for his offense, and didn't improve much from yr 1 to yr 2. Protesting that "oh, well he's athletic and so he should be able to do this", or "oh, he just wasn't given an opportunity to do that" would be a lot more comforting if we weren't talking about having to throw yet another long term cap clogging MLE at the guy to get him away for Golden State, and then just crossing our fingers that he was the first SG in history that Nellie was actually holding back (if he were a PF, sure, but a Nellie SG?).
And he will NEVER, and I do mean NEVER, have it as easy as he has had it the last two years under Nellieball. We all make fun of Nellie, and for good reason. But his entire system is designed around making things absolutley as easy as he can on the Anthony Morrows of the world on offense. Its all open court, shoot whenever the rock hits your hands, run to your favorite spots every time, and don't worry about what that may do to the transition defense, because we ain't playing any. Nellie still has a job for a reason. For all the silliness, he runs the preeminent little man offense in the enitre NBA, and one that routinely makes scrubs look like stars.
Morrow will always be able to shoot. That alone should guarantee him a long term spot in the NBA, and if he came cheap and without expectations would make using a roster spot for him reasonable. But he's 25, playing for an ideal coach for his offense, and didn't improve much from yr 1 to yr 2. Protesting that "oh, well he's athletic and so he should be able to do this", or "oh, he just wasn't given an opportunity to do that" would be a lot more comforting if we weren't talking about having to throw yet another long term cap clogging MLE at the guy to get him away for Golden State, and then just crossing our fingers that he was the first SG in history that Nellie was actually holding back (if he were a PF, sure, but a Nellie SG?).
i've always been wary of trading for players from bad teams, I always thought that players from bad teams but put up numbers were fundamentally flawed and perennial losers an Elton Brand if you will, or a Caron Butler/Antawn Jamison only the superstar or all star types or "great potential" types were ones barred...
If anything I would like the Kings to pickup Raja Bell he should be healthy now and can shoot defend brings some grit to the SG spot and a Vet presence...
If anything I would like the Kings to pickup Raja Bell he should be healthy now and can shoot defend brings some grit to the SG spot and a Vet presence...
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So you're acknowledging that he was in a system that demanded little else of him other than to do what he was already good at (shooting with no conscience), that insisted that he doesn't have to play defense, that basically encouraged basketball IQ of the lowest form with no emphasis on protecting possessions or the basket...and you're surprised that he hasn't developed into a better basketball player?? 
Making it easy on a young player is the equivalent of sending a child to a run-down, low-performing school to be taught by unqualified and indifferent teachers (sound like someone?). Growing in a toxic environment like that, where bad habits go unchecked (or are even encouraged) will absolutely stack the odds against you learning what it takes to succeed while you're there.
And yes, 25 is still young -- sure, if a player's been in the league for around 4 or 5 years, history is likely to prove that he will be what he's shown himself to be -- but obviously his developmental track is going to be different since he just completed his 2nd year. There is no magical developmental wall that pops up on your 25th birthday to prevent you from adding to your skillset as a basketball player. Otherwise we could safely say LeBron (turning 26) will never become a good low post player or a midrange jumpshooter. Both skills that he will need to develop as his career progresses. Let's be clear though: that was not a direct Morrow to LeBron comparison. It's about the work you put in. If Morrow told himself that he's done improving his game after his second year, then I wouldn't want much to do with him.
I am by no means saying Nellie is the sole reason that Morrow hasn't improved much. As I said in my first post, he has a long way to go to prove he is more than just a shooter in this league. If he can get out of Golden State, the onus is on him to flesh out his game. My main point was that his short career has existed in a screwed up system that encourages bad habits and sloppy basketball. I am not intending to completely excuse said habits -- I simply believe that it's not too late at all to break them.
Hardly anyone said we should throw the full MLE at him (aside from Purple Reign). Yeah, the contracts that have been thrown out the past couple of days have been insane, but let's see what he gets offered on the open market before we decry his potential signing as a clog of any sort. Mike Miller is more polished, more skilled and a far more established player, and he was offered just the MLE by the Lakers the other day. So there is reason to hope that Morrow might be had for a cheaper price, which is the only circumstance in which I'd want him. At no point did I or anyone else (again, aside from PR) say he was an MLE talent. We were simply discussing the player, not the price. If he's expecting that much of a commitment, then I'll be the first to ask us to move on.
And Nellie still has his job for a reason alright -- the reason just has nothing to do with the mess that he throws onto the court every night. That reason is an incompetent and uninterested ownership and management that is focused more on managing costs and placating their over-the-hill coach because they're paying him too much to fire him and hire someone who gives a damn about his players. The fact that he still has so much sway and backing in the front office is ridiculous. Putting together 29 and 26 win seasons while visibly ruining young prospects with his "preeminent" approach is hardly the reason he's still on those sidelines.
Making it easy on a young player is the equivalent of sending a child to a run-down, low-performing school to be taught by unqualified and indifferent teachers (sound like someone?). Growing in a toxic environment like that, where bad habits go unchecked (or are even encouraged) will absolutely stack the odds against you learning what it takes to succeed while you're there.
And yes, 25 is still young -- sure, if a player's been in the league for around 4 or 5 years, history is likely to prove that he will be what he's shown himself to be -- but obviously his developmental track is going to be different since he just completed his 2nd year. There is no magical developmental wall that pops up on your 25th birthday to prevent you from adding to your skillset as a basketball player. Otherwise we could safely say LeBron (turning 26) will never become a good low post player or a midrange jumpshooter. Both skills that he will need to develop as his career progresses. Let's be clear though: that was not a direct Morrow to LeBron comparison. It's about the work you put in. If Morrow told himself that he's done improving his game after his second year, then I wouldn't want much to do with him.
I am by no means saying Nellie is the sole reason that Morrow hasn't improved much. As I said in my first post, he has a long way to go to prove he is more than just a shooter in this league. If he can get out of Golden State, the onus is on him to flesh out his game. My main point was that his short career has existed in a screwed up system that encourages bad habits and sloppy basketball. I am not intending to completely excuse said habits -- I simply believe that it's not too late at all to break them.
Hardly anyone said we should throw the full MLE at him (aside from Purple Reign). Yeah, the contracts that have been thrown out the past couple of days have been insane, but let's see what he gets offered on the open market before we decry his potential signing as a clog of any sort. Mike Miller is more polished, more skilled and a far more established player, and he was offered just the MLE by the Lakers the other day. So there is reason to hope that Morrow might be had for a cheaper price, which is the only circumstance in which I'd want him. At no point did I or anyone else (again, aside from PR) say he was an MLE talent. We were simply discussing the player, not the price. If he's expecting that much of a commitment, then I'll be the first to ask us to move on.
And Nellie still has his job for a reason alright -- the reason just has nothing to do with the mess that he throws onto the court every night. That reason is an incompetent and uninterested ownership and management that is focused more on managing costs and placating their over-the-hill coach because they're paying him too much to fire him and hire someone who gives a damn about his players. The fact that he still has so much sway and backing in the front office is ridiculous. Putting together 29 and 26 win seasons while visibly ruining young prospects with his "preeminent" approach is hardly the reason he's still on those sidelines.
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Again, you made a lot of sense.
There must be some real good reasons why this guy Morrow didn't get drafted, spent a lot of time in the NBDL, and suddenly played like a star player on a weird system and coach. That is most likely because he is not that good and he is really not the player that we think he could be.
Like Larry89, I believe the answer to our search is Raja Bell. He is the perfect veteran presence that Evans was asking.
Defensive oriented, good long range shooter, can handle the ball, vocal veteran presence, cheapest, and can be had for a shorter contract. Raja Bell probably has the best resume that fits the player that we are looking for.
There must be some real good reasons why this guy Morrow didn't get drafted, spent a lot of time in the NBDL, and suddenly played like a star player on a weird system and coach. That is most likely because he is not that good and he is really not the player that we think he could be.
Like Larry89, I believe the answer to our search is Raja Bell. He is the perfect veteran presence that Evans was asking.
Defensive oriented, good long range shooter, can handle the ball, vocal veteran presence, cheapest, and can be had for a shorter contract. Raja Bell probably has the best resume that fits the player that we are looking for.
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Raja Bell does sound like possible a very good addition to our team, depending on what kind of contract we could sign him to. Plus, there's this, from his wikipedia page:
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One of the most notable incidents of Bell's career occurred in the 2006 NBA Playoffs on May 2, 2006, in Game 5 of a first round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. Bell clotheslined Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant on a hard foul, resulting in an ejection (with 7:33 left to play in the game).[3] In the postgame press conference, Bell explained that he was retaliating to an elbow to the jaw from Bryant. "It's a personal thing when someone continually hits you in the face. That's the only way I can put it. I've been playing as hard as I can play. I've been trying to do a good job, I've been trying to be what my team needs me to be, and I continually get hit in my face. There doesn't seem to be any boundaries or limitations for what he's allowed to do to me, and at that point, I kind of lost my cool and I took it into my own hands." Bell was suspended for one game after his clothesline. The Suns eventually won the series in 7 games.[4]
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