Nikola Jokic has been the driving force behind the Denver Nuggets' rise toward the top of the Western Conference, but the team's wealth of depth has been crucial during an injury-riddled season, too. The emergence of backup point guard Monte Morris, for instance, helped Denver keep pace with the Golden State Warriors in the standings despite rising star Jamal Murray missing six consecutive games in late January and early February.
After appearing in only three games as a rookie, Morris has quickly become one of the league's most effective and reliable reserve floor generals – and apparently has his mother partially to thank for it.
In a discussion on his elite floater with T.J. McBride of Mile High Sports, the Iowa State product revealed that his mom's urgings finally convinced him to make that shot a part of his offensive repertoire.
“I have been shooting that shot for a long time, but this is the first year of actually using it,” Morris explained. “My mom always told me I need to use it more and I never really used, but I am using it now because guys are so much bigger. College guys are big, but up here it is a whole different ball game. I had to add that to my game to be effective.”
Morris, 23, is averaging 10.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game for Denver while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from beyond the arc. According to NBA.com/stats, he's fared even better from the notoriously tricky area between the free-throw line and the restricted area, connecting on a remarkable 54.6 percent of his shots.
Mother, clearly, knows best.
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