Pistons trust Marcus Morris, who is having breakout season

Detroit Pistons' Marcus Morris (13) drives past Milwaukee Bucks' Michael Carter-Williams (5) during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

It’s safe to say Marcus Morris has recovered from the initial disappointment of getting traded from Phoenix and leaving behind his twin brother, Markieff.

Through 22 games with his new team, the Detroit Pistons, Marcus Morris is well on his way to the best season of his career, since leaving Kansas for the NBA in 2011.

For starters, well, Morris is solidified as a starter for Detroit. In the 6-foot-9 forward’s previous four seasons in the NBA, he only started 69 times. Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy has wanted Morris out on the floor for tip-off every game this season.

And rarely does Van Gundy ask his versatile forward to take a rest. Roughly a quarter of the way through the regular season, Morris is averaging 36.4 minutes a game. That’s the sixth-highest mark in the league right now and far beyond his previous career-best 25.2 minutes per game last season in Phoenix.

With that newfound responsibility, Morris is averaging what would be career highs in points (14.3), rebounds (6.0), assists (2.1) and steals (1.2). Though Morris’ shooting numbers — 39.9% from the floor, 28.8% from 3-point range — have dropped below his career averages (42.6% overall, 35.7% on 3-pointers), obviously Van Gundy thinks enough of him to keep him on the court.

Morris told The Detroit News he’s happy to be with the Pistons (12-10 and in the hunt for the playoffs in the surprisingly competitive Eastern Conference). The new Piston tries to remain aggressive even when shots aren’t falling. Morris said he also wants to take an assertive approach to getting teammates involved and making the right play.

“That comes with time and with getting
adjusted to a role. It’s the first
time I really got to play this many
minutes and be able to make mistakes
and play through it,” Morris said.
“It’s definitely a major help for me.”

Van Gundy uses Morris at both forward spots, depending on who else is on the floor at the time, and the coach told The Detroit News he wants to see even more production from the man he traded for this past summer.

“Marcus can do a lot of things, and I
have to create more and more things
for him,” Van Gundy said. “He’s a
damn-good passer, too. We’re really
fortunate to have him. We thought he
was good when we got him, and he’s
better than I thought he was.”

The Pistons aren’t exactly the deepest team around, and Morris has found ways to make his minutes valuable and compliment Detroit’s emerging star, big man Andre Drummond.