Monte Morris is an intriguing backup point guard prospect

The Philadelphia 76ers should consider drafting Monte Morris in the 2017 NBA Draft due to his high basketball I.Q., which helps him perform above the level his limited physical tools may suggest.

Monte Morris led Iowa States offensive for four years as their lead guard. In Morris’s time at Iowa State, he never missed a game, starting 121 straight. Morris holds school records for career assists and steals while leading the NCAA in assist to turnover ratio for his senior season. With adequate size at 6-3 to play point guard in the NBA, Morris hopes to show that his understanding of the game will compensate for his average abilities.

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Swarm and Sting

Morris has a slim build and lacks elite athleticism which will prevent him from being a primary scoring option. He plays with a pass-first style that looks to utilize his teammate’s offensive abilities over his own. This is not to say that Morris lacks offensive ability as he shot 38 percent on three point attempts throughout his career and led all prospects in points per possession in the pick and roll at 1.043.

When Morris can get space in the pick and roll, he can finish with either a beautiful pull up jumper or a quick floater over the taller defender. Morris is a true floor general and will seem to always find the open shooter. This is possibly his greatest asset and will be important to finding success at the next level. Morris does have a habit of putting up shots at the rim against bigger defenders, which rarely work in his favor. He has shown the ability to find the open shooter in this situation but occasionally prefers to try and get some points himself. This is the only concern with Morris’s decision making as he shot over 50 percent from on two point attempts for the past three seasons.

Outside of the pick and roll, Morris struggles to create space, lacking the elite burst and ability to turn the corner on defenders. Morris instead relies on misdirection and change of pace where he can display his advanced ball handling abilities. This works on occasion but when he cannot turn the corner, he will settle for an off-balanced mid-range jumper. Due to his small frame, Morris will look to avoid contact on drives and will use a hop into his jumper which is both slow and lacks the actual distance to create separation.

Currently, Morris lacks the ability go out and get a basket when you need one, preventing him from being a primary scoring option. Every team needs a player that can initiate the offense and Morris has shown he can do that boasting a 32 percent assist rate his senior season. If Morris can show that he can consistently make an uncontested three, he will find a place in the NBA as a backup point guard. Although he was able to shoot the three in college, it is likely that he will struggle with NBA range. Compared to his mid-range game, Morris will cock the ball back much farther on three point attempts. He is most comfortable stepping or jumping into a shot towards the basket.

Both of these flaws indicate a lack of strength and that he may be at the limit of his range. Morris will also kick out his right leg during his shot, turning his lower body before the release, requiring a mid-shot adjustment that can result in an unusual spin on the ball. Regardless, Morris has been able to convert long range attempts efficiently over the past four years and his shooting ability will be seen more as a bonus then a necessity to his game.

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As mentioned earlier, Morris holds the school record for most steals in a career. Steals, however, do not always accurately represent a player’s defensive ability, as a player who gambles for steal will achieve a higher steal rate but will also leave his defender for an uncontested jumper if he does not make the steal. Morris displays his high IQ on the defensive end of the floor by using his quick hands to poke the ball free from opponents with loose handles, a low risk steal.

His most common steal comes by baiting an off-ball opponent. Morris moves towards the slashing player that looks like either a double team or help defense. After the initial movement is made, Morris retreats to his man where he can get in the passing lane of the opponent who just picked up his dribble anticipating the double from Morris. He projects to be an average on-ball defender with average quickness and height that will struggle against the quick guards he will encounter at the NBA. Morris will need to put on some muscle as well. Opposing guards that drive into Morris can knock him off-balance, allowing them to turn the corner and get to the basket with ease.

Morris does need to make many improvements to his basketball abilities but the team that drafts him will be doing it for his basketball IQ. His knowledge of the game and demonstrated ability to take care of the ball place his potential floor as a third string point guard. His lack of athleticism and average height set his potential ceiling as a second string point guard. Morris appears to be a low risk, low reward prospect which could be appealing late in the second round.

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The Philadelphia 76ers already have a player similar to Morris in T.J. McConnell. Both play as a traditional, pass-first point guard that can hit the open three that primarily scores in the mid-range. Morris would be a redundant addition for the Sixers but whatever team ends up with him will get one of the smartest lead guards in the draft.