Cavs Dribbles: Will Marcus Morris Be A Regular In Rotation?

Random dribbles ahead of the Cavaliers’ road game against the Indiana Pacers on Monday. …

1. Marcus Morris is officially a Cavalier, a veteran who arrived with a 10-day contract. Yes, he’s eligible for the playoffs as Morris was waived by San Antonio before the cutoff date of March 1.

2. How much will Morris play? That’s a tough one to answer. With injuries to Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Max Strus, the Cavs could use some bodies. That is where Morris comes in.

3. But a 10-day contract is exactly what it says it is — a trial. I suspect Morris will get minutes with the injured players on the sideline. But it was highly likely explained to him that the odds are against him playing when everyone is healthy.

4. Either way, I like the signing. It can’t hurt, right? Morris is 34 years old and not the same player he once was, but he is still capable of mixing it up and fits into what the Cavs are doing defensively. In other words, he’s a physical guy who plays with an edge. He’s been around for a while so he knows the little tricks of the trade.

5. Morris is hardly a stat-stuffer. He averaged 6.7 points and 2.9 rebounds with Philadelphia in 37 games, before being sent to the Spurs as part of the three-way Buddy Hield trade with Indiana.

6. San Antonio waived him a month ago, so remember, we’re not talking about a guy in high demand. There’s a reason for that. But again, the Cavs were looking for a fit in the frontcourt, and at the very least, Morris will bring some toughness to practice. 

7. In short, Morris and the return of Tristan Thompson give the Cavs some immediate energy, depth and fortitude up front.

8. More than anything, the Cavs (41-25) could need to find a way to get some wins with the grueling looming schedule. After tonight, they host Miami, visit Minnesota, then visit Miami. All are opponents who are battling for playoff positioning and are having pretty good seasons. The Cavs will face at least Indiana without three of their starters, including their All-Star guard who averages about 28 points a game.

9. Translation: Good luck, men. You will need to be sharp and find some serious resolve.

10. Along with Mitchell, Mobley and Strus, Dean Wade is listed as doubtful with knee soreness. Wade missed three straight games for personal reasons and missed the previous one with the knee issue.

11. The Pacers (38-30) are playoff-bound and no joke. They give the Cavs fits even when the Cavs are healthy. So this will be a tall task for Cleveland, which has won just four of the last 10.