Marcus Morris Sr. – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Sixers veterans single out Tyrese Maxey bouncing back in win over Magic

The veterans on the Philadelphia 76ers singled out Tyrese Maxey for bouncing back in a win over the Orlando Magic.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Philadelphia 76ers needed a bounce-back effort from Tyrese Maxey after the Christmas Day loss to the Miami Heat. Maxey shot just 4-for-20 that night.

The Sixers received that bounce-back performance in a 112-92 win over the Orlando Magic. The rising star had 23 points, and he knocked down three 3s.

Poor nights happen in the league. Maxey, in his fourth season in the NBA, hasn’t had many rough shooting nights. Veterans on the team wanted to let him know those things happen and the key is being better in the next game.

“That’s what I told him,” started Marcus Morris Sr. “I told him that last game that great players miss shots. Great players have bad games. That’s just the nature of the league.”

With Maxey being so young at this stage of his career, the performance against the Heat could have been the start of a slump for the rising star. Instead, he bounced back against a very solid Magic team on the rise.

“This is his first time having the keys to the team like that,” Morris added. “It’s hard being a young player. That can mess with you mentally while you’re playing because it’s the same shots that you take and you normally make, but it wasn’t going in. Me being a vet, I just told him, ‘Hey man. Players miss shots. The best players bounce back.’ And that’s the beauty of the league. You’ve got games back-to-back and it can change very quick.”

Patrick Beverley, who has been in Maxey’s ear since he arrived, was proud of the way the young guard bounced back. He didn’t view the performance against the Heat as a tough night. The ball just didn’t drop.

“You think it was a poor performance?” asked Beverley. “I mean, you go and write a paper and misspell some words, it’s a poor write up? Or you just misspelled some words? Just because you miss shots doesn’t mean it’s a — I think his plus/minus was a 4. I honestly think the bench didn’t do a good job last game. I don’t really think it was a poor performance. He just missed shots. Just like any writer that misspells words or anything else. You know what I’m saying?”

To Beverley’s point, Maxey was a plus-3 despite the rough shooting night. He was then able to find his rhythm against the Magic.

“It’s expected, right?” Beverley added. “He’s a perennial All-Star. I hope he’s in the starting lineup of the All-Star this year. Everybody wants to see him do it without Jo which is a great thing, a motivated thing, and he made shots tonight. We all made shots tonight. A great team win.”

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Paul Reed discusses his changed mindset, Sixers win 1st without Joel Embiid

Paul Reed discusses his changed mindset after the Philadelphia 76ers won their first game of the season without Joel Embiid on the floor.

ORLANDO, Fla. — It took five tries, but the Philadelphia 76ers finally won a game without Joel Embiid.

The Sixers knocked off the Orlando Magic, 112-92, on the road Wednesday behind strong performances up and down the roster. Tyrese Maxey bounced back, scoring 23 points. De’Anthony Melton and Tobias Harris added 22 points each.

Paul Reed bounced back from a frustrating performance in the Christmas Day loss to the Miami Heat as well. He had 15 points and 10 rebounds.

“I just had to change my approach to the game,” Reed said after the win. “My mindset coming into this game, I told myself to be more aggressive, and more assertive when I get the ball, and it helped get my teammates open tonight.”

Reed normally can produce when the time calls for it. He did so against the Magic, but it was certainly a struggle in Miami. For him to come up big and help the Sixers win a game without Joel Embiid is important.

“It’s definitely a milestone,” Reed added. “Last year, we won a lot of games without Joel, so I knew this team was capable of doing it and I’m proud of our guys. Tonight, we came out and handled business.”

The Sixers winning against a very good Magic team without the big fella is impressive. Just about everybody contributed.

“Definitely,” added Marcus Morris Sr. “I know that’s been hanging in the realm of not being able to win games without big dog, and rightfully so. We hadn’t won any so being able to get this one against a young, up-and-coming team like that that plays hard. It’s a good win tonight.”

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Sixers’ Nick Nurse praised Marcus Morris Sr., bench unit in win over Magic

Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse enjoyed the lift that Marcus Morris Sr. and the bench unit gave in a win over the Orlando Magic.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Philadelphia 76ers received great performances up and down the lineup in Wednesday’s 112-92 win over the Orlando Magic. Tyrese Maxey, De’Anthony Melton and Tobias Harris all scored 20-plus points, and the bench unit provided a big boost.

Marcus Morris Sr. hopped off the bench and poured in 14 points. Patrick Beverley added 10 points and four rebounds while making dagger shots. Mo Bamba hopped off the bench and grabbed seven rebounds while Robert Covington had two steals.

“Obviously, Pat and Marcus played really well, right?” said coach Nick Nurse after the win. “I thought Cov came in, I don’t know how many steals he got, but he got his hands on a few. He made a couple of key steals. They’ve only got him for two and I thought Mo had a really good stint early and rebounded it really well, right? I thought his first-half stint was excellent. Good production off the bench.”

Morris scored six of his 14 in the second quarter as he made some key shots to help keep the Magic at bay a bit when they tried to make a run. It seemed like every time down, the Sixers dumped into Morris and let him go to work against the young Magic.

“I give a lot of credit to my point guard out there,” Morris explained. “He seen that they were doing a lot of switching, a lot of screening, so Pat wanted me to run pick-and-roll with him, and get the switches and just punished the matchup so that’s we did. Nick gave us an opportunity to play a two-man game and it worked out.”

The Sixers look to continue their winning ways when they visit the Houston Rockets on Friday.

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Sixers’ Marcus Morris Sr. talks handling trade rumors as deadline approaches

Philadelphia 76ers veteran Marcus Morris Sr. discusses handling trade rumors as the trade deadline approaches in the NBA.

ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s about the time in the NBA when teams begin assessing their trade pieces and begin formulating plans for the rapidly approaching Feb. 8 trade deadline.

The Philadelphia 76ers are no different. Led by President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey, the Sixers are armed with valuable assets after the big James Harden trade. Morey has never been shy about pulling the trigger on a deal he believes will help his team be in a better position to contend.

One of the pieces the Sixers can move is Marcus Morris Sr. The productive veteran and Philadelphia native will continue to pop up in trade rumors leading up to the deadline. Considering his longevity in the league, this is nothing new to him. He understands the business.

“Like I said from Day 1 that I got here,” Morris told Sixers Wire. “If something happens and I get traded, I’ll be — you know what I’m saying? It is what it is. I’m just happy to have the opportunity to say I played at home. It’s the NBA. I try to keep myself ready for whatever team I go to. I’m not saying I’m gonna get traded, but you just prepare. Stay ready mentally, physically, and go how you go.”

After a slow start with the Sixers after the trade, Morris is shooting 50% from deep in 21 games with four starts. He is averaging 5.5 points and 2.5 rebounds. He is a tough player who can produce anywhere he’s at.

It’s why he doesn’t pay attention to trade rumors. He isn’t going to shut his phone off or turn off notifications. His focus will continue to be on what he has to do to help the Sixers win.

“Nah. I just live my regular life,” Morris added. “I got three boys. I got a lot of (expletive) to worry about. I can’t worry about — I’m making $17 million. I can’t worry about somebody wanting to trade me or do what they wanna do. Regardless, I’m gonna be productive wherever I go. If it’s here or somewhere else, that’s just who I am. At the end of the day, I don’t even know what it would come up on. I’m not even sure what notifications I would get so at any point, I’m ready.”

Morris knows he’s in a great situation. He is playing at home. He’s producing. So whatever happens is going to come and he has to play his part as a veteran.

“Always. It’s a blessing to play at home for sure,” he finished. “I know things change and I know it’s a business so if anything happens, I’ll just go how I go.”

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Marcus Morris Sr. describes Nick Nurse’s old school style for Sixers

Marcus Morris Sr. describes Nick Nurse’s old school coaching style to help the Philadelphia 76ers succeed.

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse brought an unorthodox coaching style to the City of Brotherly Love. The Sixers have played plenty of different defensive schemes and run a more free-flowing offensive style designed to get everybody involved.

The result is a 19-8 start despite guys being in and out of the lineup due to injuries, illnesses and other issues. Nurse has done a great job of keeping everybody together. Factor in a big trade on Halloween that brought in a handful of new faces, and the Sixers are playing very well with Nurse at the helm.

“I like Nick,” said key veteran Marcus Morris Sr. “He was my first coach in the G League when I first got drafted. I think his style is good, man. He allows players to be themself. I like the shootarounds because he plays a lot of music. I’ve definitely played for a lot of coaches and he gives me that old-school style where he likes to practice, likes to be very detail-oriented, and I like it, man. I’m an old-school guy myself. I think we mesh really well.”

Nurse wants to make sure his team gets the little things down. He wants to be sure they get the details right. They work every day at practice and in shootarounds before games to be sure they are prepared for anything.

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“We all have one goal and that’s to win, and I think Nick’s coming from a great spot when he wants to practice and wants to watch film,” Morris added. “I mean, it’s not just to do it, so I commend him on that and guys are buying in so I mean, we’re all kind of getting used to it.”

It was initially a tough situation for Morris, who came to the Sixers from the Los Angeles Clippers. The number of practices Nurse conducts is not always easy to handle, but to be prepared to win, they are necessary.

“It’s a little tough because when I was with the Clippers we never practiced.,” he explained. “I had to put my hat on and start to realize that this is different right here. I mean, I like it, man. Like I said, I played for older coaches, Stan Van Gundy (with the Detroit Pistons), where we practiced every single day. So, I mean, I’m used to it.”

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Coach Nick Nurse gives an update on Nic Batum, other injured Sixers

Coach Nick Nurse gave an update on Nic Batum and the other Philadelphia 76ers who are dealing with ailments.

CAMDEN, N.J.–The Philadelphia 76ers got back at it on Tuesday following a home loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday. The Sixers were a bit short-handed as they were missing Marcus Morris Sr. off the bench and then lost Nic Batum to right hamstring tightness down the stretch.

As the Sixers now prepare for the Minnesota Timberwolves, coach Nick Nurse gave an update on Batum who is an important piece to what the Sixers do on a nightly basis.

“He did not practice today (Tuesday),” said Nurse. “He will be out for I think a couple days is what they said. Again, nothing major. It is a little sore. I think they’re looking at some imaging and stuff and see, but at this point, it’s nothing major, but it is a little tight and sore.”

In 17 games with the Sixers including 14 starts, Batum is averaging 6.2 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 49% from deep. He is their best entry passer into Joel Embiid and Philadelphia will miss him against the Timberwolves with his defensive acumen.

As for Morris Sr., Nurse gave an update on him as well as Robert Covington who are both dealing with an illness.

“Marcus was not here today,” Nurse added. “A little improvement from yesterday, but was not here. We’ll see. He’s sick so we’ll just have to see if he gets better in time for tomorrow. Robert was also out today with illness.”

The Sixers and the Timberwolves will match up at 7 p.m. EST on Wednesday.

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Sixers continue to be in awe of what Joel Embiid does on a nightly basis

The Philadelphia 76ers continue to be in awe of what Joel Embiid does on a nightly basis on the floor.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers received another big performance from Joel Embiid on Friday night in a 124-92 win over the Detroit Pistons. The big fella had 35 points and 13 rebounds in three quarters of play and he made it look incredibly easy.

Embiid shot 9-for-19 from the floor and 15-for-16 from the free-throw line. Detroit was missing talented big man Jalen Duren and the big fella went to work against Isaiah Stewart and James Wiseman all night.

Embiid made history in the process. It’s his ninth straight game with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds, which is a franchise record that was held by Wilt Chamberlain.

Tyrese Maxey, who famously says “Joel Embiid is good at basketball” every chance he gets, repeated himself on Friday, but he also did expand a bit more.

“Can anybody guess what I’m about to say?” Maxey asked the media. “He’s very good at basketball. I’ll even elaborate more. He is getting better, which is scary. He did a layup, a layup that I usually do, a Eurostep high glass, like touch layup. I looked next to Pat Bev and said ‘He’s 7-foot-2 and just ran full speed and did the same layup I just did.’ And that’s scary, just kudos to him man. We appreciate him and he’s got all it takes to be great.”

Embiid is playing at another incredibly high level. It’s like Maxey said, he is continuing to get better and that should be a scary thought for the rest of the league.

“I know this is not a Joel Embiid breakdown, but (expletive)!” said Marcus Morris Sr. “The dude can like — he’s a special player, man. Like I haven’t seen anything like that. Somebody, like 7-foot-1, push the break, shoot the 3, post up, and defend. I mean, he’s a special player.”

The Sixers will go as far as Embiid takes them. He has to remain healthy for Philadelphia to reach its desired destination in the playoffs.

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Nick Nurse, Sixers single out Marcus Morris Sr. after win over Pistons

The Philadelphia 76ers single out Marcus Morris Sr. for his production after a win over the Detroit Pistons.

PHILADELPHIA — One look at the box score from the Philadelphia 76ers’ 124-92 win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday shows how dominant Joel Embiid was. He had 35 points and 13 rebounds in three quarters.

However, Marcus Morris Sr.’s productive night off the bench stands out as well. The Philadelphia native had 15 points on 5-for-5 shooting from deep in 15 minutes off the bench. His 3-point shooting of late has been terrific, making him very helpful on the floor.

“He can look you in the eye and shoot the ball and he’s certainly not afraid to create a shot or whatever, but in his career, he’s been a pretty high percentage 3-point shooter,” said coach Nick Nurse. “That does take a little bit of spacing, relocation to be the guy that gets on the end of some of those things, and he’s good at that.”

Morris is a veteran player in his 13th season. He understands how to space and where to relocate to find success with his shot. He has done it his whole career.

“He’s good at figuring out where he’s supposed to kind of get out to let the ball find him, right?” Nurse added. “And when it hits his hands, he‘s like I said, he’s not afraid to shoot it. So it’s good to see I mean, like I said, you gotta be able to shoot the ball to play on this team because of Joel.”

Embiid gets double- and triple-teamed so often he needs a reliable outlet. Morris, a career 37.7% shooter from deep, has become that guy for Philadelphia. He had the Pistons lost and confused all night.

“He’s been great,” Embiid said. “It feels like he’s shooting 100% and every single time he takes a shot, he makes it, but that’s what he does. If you see what he’s been able to do, especially — last year he didn’t really play, but before that, I mean, he was shooting 50% from 3. So that’s what he does and we just want him to continue to do that and be aggressive. Like I said, that’s what he does and we like it.”

It had been a tough start to the season for Morris, but it’s obvious he has a better understanding of what the Sixers expect out of him on a nightly basis.

“Just having consistent minutes, figuring out my spots,” Morris said of his success. “Like I said, I’m a veteran from Day 1 when I got here. I said I was a veteran. I mean, obviously you guys know that, but just being able to get consistent minutes and figuring out how guys play, where to be at, and things like that is definitely helping me, and obviously making the shot.”

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Young Jaden Springer’s work ethic highlighted by Sixers veterans

Young Philadelphia 76ers Jaden Springer’s work ethic gets highlighted by his veteran teammates.

CAMDEN, N.J.–Young Philadelphia 76ers guard Jaden Springer has continued to take steps forward in his third season in the league. The No. 28 overall pick in the 2021 draft is averaging 3.5 points and 1.7 rebounds in 11.0 minutes per game in the 13 games he has played.

He continues to be terrific on the defensive end of the floor and he is taking steps forward on offense. He is taking the open 3-pointers he has received within the offense and he has shown off his ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the basket at the NBA level.

His work ethic has been terrific and his veteran teammates are noticing.

“I like Jaden, man,” said Marcus Morris Sr. “First of all, what he’s been through in his career like straight being in the G League. from the beginning. Similar to mine. I was a lottery pick and, having to go through the trenches to get back to where you need to be at. The best thing is that you get to see this every day, you get to prove it with his work ethic.”

Morris Sr. did have a similar path as a lottery pick. Like Springer, he spent time in the G League and he took advantage of the opportunities given to him. He sees Springer taking a very similar path.

“Guys get to see him and you could just say this is his path, you know what I’m saying?” Morris Sr. added. “Everybody’s not gonna have that cute, drafted early, playing right away path, and I told him that’s the beauty about it being a young player and grinding and grinding and grinding and whenever you get an opportunity, just make the most of it.”

It’s obvious that Springer has taken steps forward. He hasn’t been able to receive much consistent playing time due to the fact that the Sixers have proven veterans ahead of him on the depth chart.

“Jaden’s always wanting to get better and he’s willing to get better, but I just think this year, we got a lot of guys, we’ve got a lot of vets to at the same time,” added De’Anthony Melton. “I know it’s been a little bit tough for him, but as long as he just focuses on getting better, staying ready, his time is gonna come for sure.”

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Detroit a special place for Sixers’ Tobias Harris, Marcus Morris Sr.

The city of Detroit remains a special place for Philadelphia 76ers forwards Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris Sr.

DETROIT–Philadelphia 76ers forwards Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris Sr. have been lifelong friends on their journeys to the NBA. They are both from a similar area, Morris Sr. from Philadelphia and Harris from New York, and they have been battling each other for years.

The city of Detroit brought them together at the NBA level. The Pistons acquired Harris in a trade in the 2015-16 season and he helped spark Detroit to a playoff appearance. He and Morris Sr. played well off each other showing off their versatility, offensive ability, and size.

With the Sixers in Detroit on Wednesday, resulting in a 129-111 win for Philadelphia, Harris and Morris Sr. reminisced on their time in the Motor City and their friendship.

“It was great,” Harris said of his time with Morris Sr. in Detroit. “I’ve been knowing him for the longest. We played one AAU tournament together in high school so he’s right down the road in Philly so when we were here, it was a good time. It was a time where we both were figuring out our careers and where we were at and whatnot, but we enjoyed our time here.”

While both Harris and Morris Sr. have known each other for a long time, the fact that they were able to play together in the NBA was special for them. Detroit offered that opportunity.

“It brought us together, man,” Morris Sr. said. “We learned a lot from each other. Like personally. Like not even basketball (expletive). Just like life stuff, you know what I mean? He’s a good friend of mine. Anybody that asks, I would say he’s a really good dude. We learned a lot from each other, I can’t say everything, but it’s been cool, man. It’s been cool to know him and see him grow and being a younger player come in and grow into a veteran and do what he’s doing now.”

The two veteran forwards were able to play off each other and be important pieces on a playoff team for the Pistons. Harris averaged 16.6 points and 6.2 rebounds with Detroit following the trade and Morris Sr. averaged 14.1 points and 5.1 rebounds that season.

“We always talk about playing together, the team that we had, and use two forwards playing the 3-4 together so we had some really good chemistry on the floor as well and just worked off each other,” Harris added. “We had a good team that year, too.”

With the two of them now teammates again in Philadelphia, they acknowledge that the city of Detroit played an important role in their careers.

“I think as both of our careers have progressed year after year, he continues to get better and just finding ways to be as efficient as he can on the basketball court,” Harris said of Morris Sr. “Outside of just basketball, he’s a brother for life since our time playing in Detroit and that’s my guy.”

What has made their careers and friendship even more intertwined was that both of them came into the NBA at the same time in 2011.

“We came in the league at the same time, too,” Morris Sr. reminisced. “We go way back. We played in a tournament together. Tobias was about, I think he might’ve been 12 or maybe 13 or 14. Good player. I’ve been knowing him for a while. He grew up in the same area. I’ve been to his house. Our families know each other really well so any time we talk basketball, anything we see, just talk to each other, you know what I’m saying? We got a good relationship. You build these types of relationships in the league.”

Now, they will look to help the Sixers win a championship.

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