When you are drafted third overall solely based on your ability to shoot the lights out, you'd think that you would be able to do just that. Adam Morrison, however, has proven to be one of the most inconsistent shooters in the NBA thus far in his rookie year.
While other rookies have certainly not been ripping it up on the court, they also haven't been ripping up chances for their teams to make the playoffs. Morrison, because of the fact that he's been playing the most minutes of all the rookies (33 mpg), has had the most impact on his team's performance on the court. While he leads the rookie class in scoring per game, he is far from efficient when compared to other rookie young guns that have seen consistent minutes on the court, such as Brandon Roy or Jorge Garbajosa (taking the term "young guns" very loosely).
Brandon Roy has been shooting almost 42% from the field while playing a very similar role to that of Morrison — scoring. Garbajosa has also been relied on for shots aplenty, hitting just under 44%. Morrison, on the other hand, is chucking up 14 shots per game at a much less effective rate, making less than 37% of his shots.
The Charlotte Bobcats are a team that is struggling to score. They are ranked 23rd in the league with just over 94 points per game while shooting a league-worst 43% from the field. Morrison is the worst offender of the Bobcats' starters and has, arguably, the worst shot selection in the entire league for players who take over 10 shots per game.
The fact is this: Morrison is a great shooter who can get hot at any time, but when he's not hitting his shots, he simply doesn't let up. He's a trigger-happy three-ball launcher who satisfies his itch to shoot much more often than he satisfies the scoreboard. His games can be downright decent. I was going to say "spectacular," but he's only had three games where he has shot over 50%. Looking at his stat line can be confusing. One night he's the second coming of Larry Bird and the next he's Antoine Walker's apprentice.
Morrison has had five one-for games in the month of December. Four of them were in a row. The lines read this: 1-for-5, 1-for-10, 1-for-11, 1-for-8, and most recently, 1-for-15. His team was able to win, however, two of those games. Morrison's backup, Matt Carroll, saved the team from the 1-for-5 performance against Detroit, in which Morrison was limited to 19 minutes, and then rescued the Bobcats again in a triple overtime thriller against the Lakers with 27 points, where Carroll was used in overtime rather than the rookie "shooting specialist."
While at Gonzaga, the mustached man was launching even more shots than he is in the NBA, with 17 shots per contest. The difference, however, was that he was shooting 49.7%. He never had a single game in his college career where he only made one shot, a feat that he has unfortunately accomplished so many times in the NBA that he can almost trademark the term "one-for" or even tattoo it on his bicep.
Ammo, as he was known in college, would be better off if he ran out of ammo, and so would the Bobcats, who have won the only two games where Morrison was held to six shots or less.
The league would love to see the old Adam Morrison that was put on display night in and night out at Gonzaga. The man proved himself at that level, however, he has yet to do so in the NBA. With longer and quicker defenders, many questioned if Morrison would be able to adjust. The Bobcats believed he could and have seen flashes of brilliance. The brilliance, however, has been dimmed by shooting slumps galore.
If Morrison wants to survive in this league, he has to prove himself to be a little more efficient with a much less flamboyant shot-selection. He has to find his role on the team and fit it. He needs to settle for his shots rather than force his shots. Morrison needs to adjust his college game to the NBA to really make it work. All of this is very possible with a player that is as gifted as Adam Morrison is, but he'll have to work hard to make it happen.
And maybe he could shave his mustache, too.
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