"He's a student of the game": Why Monte Morris' clutch minutes were no fluke

Among the countless micro-decisions that Michael Malone made in the waning moments of Game 1, Denver’s coach made a critical call with 1:32 remaining in the fourth quarter. As Donovan Mitchell stepped to the line for two free-throws with the Nuggets trailing 109-108, Malone downsized his lineup, removing starting small forward Michael Porter Jr. and replacing him with backup point guard Monte Morris.

Porter began Monday’s playoff opener with a bang, sinking two first-quarter three-pointers to help the Nuggets open up an early eight-point lead midway through the period. But as Game 1 wore on Porter’s impact faded. He scored seven points on 3 of 9 shooting throughout the rest of regulation and stayed on the bench for overtime after Malone swapped him for Morris late in the fourth quarter. Like many Nuggets did Monday, Porter also struggled at times defensively.

“Shoutout to Coach Malone for trusting me,” Morris said after playing 29 minutes off the bench in the Nuggets’ 135-125 overtime win, the second-most of any Nuggets reserve.

Trust can be gained and lost quickly in the NBA, especially if you’re a role player in a playoff setting. But Morris has always had the trust of Denver’s coaching staff — even when he was in the midst of an 0-13 stretch from three during last year’s playoffs — and rewarded Malone’s decision to call his number. Denver got a rare Game 1 stop on the next possession and Morris stayed on the floor for overtime where the Nuggets turned up their defensive intensity. Denver outscored Utah 20-10 in overtime and and forced Utah into four turnovers.

Over the last two seasons, Morris has established himself as an upper echelon backup point guard. Morris can step in for Jamal Murray when need be — like when he started the Nuggets’ first four seeding games — and still keep Denver’s first-team offense humming. Morris also isn’t mistake prone, rarely turns the ball over and is a constant competitor on the defensive end of the floor, two firm prerequisites for being apart of Malone’s closing five.

“I think guys that are good defenders, take pride in it, aren’t afraid, that aren’t going to back down. They have that intangible toughness. That fight. That competitive nature,” Malone said. “Whether Monte’s guarding a smaller guy or bigger guy, I always know he’s going to give great effort. He’s going to fight. He’s going to compete. He does a really good job of being physical with bigger bodies.”

“And he really knows the game plan. He’s a student of the game. He’s not going out there and making three, four or five game-plan mistakes, personnel-driven mistakes. He’s locked in. He’s focused. He’s ready to play. When you combine that mental capacity to perform with that physical willingness to fight, to hit, to compete, you’re going to give yourself a chance and more importantly your team a chance to have really good success on that end of the floor. I think Monte embodies that night in and night out.”

Morris’ late-game and overtime minutes weren’t surprising considering how Game 1 transpired. With one minute left in the first quarter, Morris sunk his first career postseason three-pointer. He then drained a crucial corner triple in overtime to put the Nuggets up 120-115 with 3:31 remaining.

“We were joking after the game,” Malone said. “Hey, Monte. It was great to see you finally make a playoff three.”

Morris was willing to attack Utah’s defense in the half-court and got downhill often against the Jazz in Game 1, both of which Malone says are keys to the 25-year-old making an impact on the game. He wasn’t as aggressive during his 2019 playoff debut where Morris admits that he rushed his offense.

Morris didn’t have any postseason jitters this time around. He shot 6 of 9 from the floor and 2 of 3 from beyond the arc in Game 1. After his postseason struggles last year, Morris recommitted himself over the summer with the help of his trainer Kieon Arkwright and took better care of his body.

“I had beat myself up and worked hard all season to get prepared for these moments,”  Morris said.

Without Gary Harris and Will Barton for Game 2 and likely longer, Morris is in line for more late-game minutes alongside Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Jerami Grant who all closed out Game 1. Denver excelled this season when Murray and Morris shared the backcourt and hold a 111.6 Offensive Rating and a 102.6 Defensive Rating in the 306 minutes that the two point guards have spent on the floor together this season. Expect lots of Murray-Morris minutes this series.

The adjustments that the Nuggets make heading into Wednesday’s Game 2 (2:00 p.m. MT, TNT/Altitude) will be interesting. Most of Denver’s upcoming tweaks figure to come on the defensive end of the floor considering the aftershocks from Donovan Mitchell’s 57-point explosion are still reverberating around the Disney World campus. As for Porter, the player Morris replaced late in Game 1, he’ll need stronger two-way showings to be on the floor in the deciding moments of this series.

Morris will continue to get his opportunities, and if he shoots effectively from the floor he’ll likely approach the 30-minute mark throughout Denver’s first-round series. Even if his shot isn’t falling, Malone’s confidant that Morris will bring all the other intangibles to the table.

With the Nuggets, there’s no substitute for trust.

“To see him knock down a couple threes was big for him. It was big for us,” Torrey Craig said. “It does a lot for his confidence. If he can come off the bench and run that second unit and chip in anyway possible, I mean that’s huge for this team especially with the guys we have out. He’s huge for us. He’s been huge for us all year.”