Coming into the 2018-19 season, the hope was that the Denver Nuggets had finally found their backup point guard for the future.
With the signing of Isaiah Thomas in the offseason, it seemed as if Denver’s second unit woes were finally coming to an end. Unfortunately, Thomas has still been unable to play as he continues to rehabilitate after having surgery on his hip. Little did anyone know that the Nuggets actually had a backup plan for Thomas currently on the roster. That player is Denver’s 2017 second-round pick, Monte Morris.
After performing well for the Nuggets in summer league, Morris was rewarded with a three-year contract worth $4.8 million. Morris played last season under a two-way contract and spent most of the season playing in the G-League. After appearing in just three games for the Nuggets all of last last season, Morris worked all offseason and earned the opportunity he has been given so far this season.
“Every time we give Monte a challenge — whether it be going out to Vegas and playing summer league, whether it be in our own gym throughout September or into training camp and five preseason games — Monte not only accepts the challenge, (but) he embraces it and he runs with it.” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said in an interview earlier this season with Altitude Sports Radio. “Monte has proven to be very trustworthy, he runs this team, he does not make mistakes, and he’s really competing on the defensive end of the floor. So, Monte deserves the opportunity that he’s going to be given.”
Through the Nuggets first 12 games, Morris is averaging 8.3 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game. His assist totals rank him third on the Nuggets — only trailing Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray — while committing a team low 0.4 turnovers per game. With an assist to turnover ratio of eight-to-one, Morris not only leads the Nuggets in that category, but the entire NBA.
“I just know if I can keep the ball and not turn it over, we can definitely get more possessions,” Morris said earlier this season in an interview with Mile High Sports. “Coach Malone has been harping on turnovers and trying to cut them down.”
His ability to not turn the ball over while getting his teammates involved has led to even more playing time for Morris. He is currently averaging 21.6 minutes per game and has been trusted to produce in close games. In the Nuggets last game against the Brooklyn Nets, Morris left his stamp on the game with 15 points on 7-11 shooting from the field. Morris’ scoring total was the second-highest of his career, just five points off his 20-point performance he had earlier this season against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Monte was great. He was aggressive, he was attacking, getting to the cup and hitting his little mid-range shot,” Malone explained when asked about Monte’s play against the Nets. “I thought he was a real factor out there.”
Friday’s game against the Nets was just another example of how Morris’ play this season has not only benefited him, but the Nuggets’ bench unit as a whole. Morris is currently averaging 19.9 minutes per game and helping the Nuggets’ bench unit average 38.5 points per game, which is good for 13th-best in the NBA. Last season, the Nuggets bench finished 19th in the NBA with 34.2 points per game. Clearly, that number that has already took a major step forward this season which is a big reason that Denver has been able to win nine games in their first 12 battles of the season.
“We just try to do it every night. Some games, the starters might get off slower than the bench would and some games the bench doesn’t come in how the starters started so it’s vice-versa,” Morris said on the play of the second unit against the Nets game. “At times, you know, we have veterans on the bench, especially Mason [Plumlee] and he just taps us and says ‘be ready whenever somebody goes in’ so we are usually good at knowing when we have to turn it up.”
The added playing time for Morris along with a veteran in Plumlee has been key in why Denver’s bench unit has been so good this season. The confidence in which Morris plays with allows whatever unit he is on the floor with to play calm, cool, and collected at all times. That type of mindset can be contagious for a team and it is something Morris tries to duplicate whenever he’s on the court.
“Just playing my game,” Morris told Mile High Sports earlier this season. “I’m not going to ‘ooo and awe’, you know what I’m saying? I’m going to play the game the right way, make a right pass, and just play simple. Make plays — try to make open shots — doing that gives me the leverage to go out and take care of the basketball like I do.”
If we’ve learned anything through 12 games it’s that Morris deserves to be in the normal rotation moving forward and that the Nuggets may have finally found their back up point guard of the future.
