Detroit Pistons: Monte Morris is more than just a reliable veteran

Monte Morris will join the Detroit Pistons next season as a stabilizing force for the second unit. At only 28 years old, he’s a young veteran who has been a reliable backup point guard in Denver and Washington, where he was also a starter.

In Detroit, he’ll provide valuable veteran minutes to a team in need of a steady hand who can help the young core rest, recharge, and metabolize points of execution and adjustment during each game.

What Monte Morris will bring to the Detroit Pistons

His two greatest contributions will be his ability to keep games competitive when he relieves a starter and his ability to coach on the floor.

We all watched Bojan Bogdanovic and Corey Joseph help young players improve last season, and we should see the same from Monte Morris next season. He’ll point out adjustments and corrections when the ball is dead, and his young teammates will benefit from his experience.

Cunningham and Ivey getting a rest and seeing action from the sideline will help them review plays, receive guidance from the coaching staff, and just relax for a minute while they replay the game in their head. When they reenter the game, they’ll have adjusted their mindset and focus and be prepared to tighten their execution.

Monte Morris will help the team relax. He’ll also contribute to winning basketball.

Morris has averaged 10.5 points for his career on .550 eFG%. He’s a reliable shooter who has served as a starter for Denver when Jamal Murray was injured and in a rebuilding Washington. He knows the grind of an NBA season and has prepared for matchups throughout the NBA.

The man can hoop.

In 25.6 minutes per game throughout his career, Morris has only averaged 4 assists. Ballhandlers like Cunningham and Hayes are both better passers, but playing alongside Morris, an above-average .392 career 3-point shooter, could open opportunities to increase their assists while Morris relieves the tension of constant decision making.

Monte Morris will be an excellent addition to the team as the young core looks to navigate the ups and downs of an 82-game season and the possibility of a few playoff games. The value of a competent, veteran point guard should never be underestimated.