Marcus Morris went off for 17 points in the first half, but the New York Knicks forward wouldn’t stick around for the second half.
Marcus Morris‘ first half in a New York Knicks uniform went about as well as anyone could have expected. The veteran started at small forward and finished the half with 17 points on 6-for-12 shooting. He also added seven rebounds and two assists for good measure.
However, Morris’ night would end prematurely. At the onset of the second half, Morris took issue with the way Justin Anderson was covering him. He ended up smacking Anderson in the head with the ball and he was subsequently ejected after video review.
Yeah, here's the best angle. Marcus Morris = big brother ball. pic.twitter.com/JnYDaCTYG1
— ESNY (@EliteSportsNY) October 8, 2019
Marcus Morris didn’t like the way Justin Anderson was defending him. He was booted for hitting Anderson in the head with the ball. #NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/hqGGq5VqFT
— ESNY (@EliteSportsNY) October 8, 2019
The Knicks signed Morris to a one-year, $15 million contract this past offseason. The eight-year veteran was close to a deal with the San Antonio Spurs, but backed out at the last minute to sign with the Knicks.
As bad of a move as this is by Morris, it’s preseason so there’s no need to overreact. The veteran put in his work in the first half and it’s unlikely he was going to see major burn in the second half anyway.
Additionally, the ejection gave Kevin Knox some minutes with the starting unit. Morris and Knox will compete for minutes at small forward.
The University of Kentucky product has plenty of offensive upside. Although he only shot 34.3% from three-point range as a rookie, he possesses an incredibly smooth stroke and the length needed to get his shot off over defenders.
Knox is looking smooth out there. Drills the three in the first quarter. #NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/C24qt0rUFk
— ESNY (@EliteSportsNY) October 7, 2019
The soft-spoken Knox is a stark contrast from the in-your-face Morris, but both should give New York a strong rotation at small forward.
