Toronto Raptors: Who will play center for Raptors in 2020?
By Jason Mills
Marcus Morris, 6’8″ power forward/center
Marcus Morris is more of a power forward than he is a center, but the Raptors need a credible backup for Pascal Siakam. Morris has been in the NBA for nine seasons and split this season between the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers.
He averaged 16.7 points per game and averaged 40.8 percent on three-point attempts in 2020. Morris fits the Raptors’ requirements offensively as he can stretch the floor. He had signed a one year 15 million dollar deal with the New York Knicks in July of 2019 before a three-team deal sent him to the Los Angeles Clippers mid-season in 2020. At age 31, Marcus Morris has played for six different franchises in his nine NBA seasons.
Morris, at that salary, for two seasons, could provide the Raptors with more offense than they received from Marc Gasol. Morris also played small forward for the New York Knicks and power forward for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019/20. However, if the Raptors want to employ small ball tactics under head coach Nick Nurse, Marcus Morris could play some center.
Marcus Morris has also played in some significant playoff games in his career. Since the 2018 NBA playoffs, Morris has played in 41 playoff games averaging 13 points per game and 43.9 percent from three-point range. Considering how the Toronto Raptors struggled scoring points at the center and power forward spot in the 2020 playoffs, Marcus Morris would provide Nick Nurse a healthy scoring option off of his bench.