New York Knicks: Marcus Morris could have a career year in 2019-20

Marcus Morris had arguably the best season of his career in 2018-19 as a member of the Boston Celtics. Now with a less talented team in New York, he could improve upon his solid numbers from last year.

The New York Knicks were quite active during free agency this summer, though they were unable to convince any of the top free agents available to join their youthful roster.

The franchise still managed to sign some players who will be able to contribute next season and help the team get on the path back to competitiveness.

One of the Knicks most significant additions through free agency was bringing in former Celtics forward Marcus Morris. After initially agreeing to a two-year deal with the San Antonio Spurs worth $20 million, New York swept in and gave Morris the superior offer.

The Knicks offered him a one-year deal worth $15 million, which gives him more money per year along with the ability to once again test his value in 2020, which projects to be a weak free-agent class.

Morris is skilled enough on the offensive end to be one of the top scorers for New York next season. Over the past few years of his career in Boston, he has proven that he can give a team a consistent scoring punch whether he is starting or coming off the bench.

The Knicks’ depth chart is crowded at the forward positions, but thankfully whether he receives a large amount of playing time or not it should not affect Morris’ effectiveness during his time on the court.

The former Kansas Jayhawk star can score in a multitude of ways. He is the type of scorer that a team can simply give the ball to if they need a bucket. Morris thrives at putting the ball in the basket when isolated against his defender on the perimeter.

Mook is one of the few players on the Knicks that can create his own shot with regularity, a skill that teams need in order to win in the NBA.

There are no go-to scorers on the current Knicks roster. Newly acquired Julius Randle starred for the New Orleans Pelicans in 2018-19; however, he was ultimately the second fiddle to Anthony Davis and is just 24 years old.

Kevin Knox and R.J. Barrett appear to have the potential to one day develop into great offensive players, but as of right now they do not have nearly enough experience.

Not to say Morris is an offensive star, though with a less experienced and talented roster compared to Boston’s his usage rate could certainly increase somewhat significantly.

The 6’9″ forward was one of the lone bright spots in what was an extremely disappointing season for the Celtics. Morris averaged 13.9 points per game to go along with 6.1 rebounds last season, and he started in 53 of his 75 appearances for the green.

While his numbers were solid, it was his efficiency that was most impressive. Morris finished the campaign with the best shooting numbers of his career, knocking down 44.7 percent of his shots from the field and 37.5 percent from deep.

Assuming he earns ample playing time when the regular season rolls around, the Philadelphia native can provide the Knicks with efficient and consistent scoring. One should expect Morris to eclipse the 11.3 field goal attempts per game he had in Boston just one season ago.

Considering he no longer has to defer to stars, he should be given the green light from the New York coaching staff.

They are surely aware of Morris’ unique offensive versatility, and coach David Fizdale will figure out how to maximize his talent while also allowing him to coexist with and compliment the up-and coming youngsters.