Adam Morrison: “A lot of people left me for dead.”
I’m not going to lie – if you had told me when he was drafted in the 2006-07 Draft that three years later Adam Morrison would be in serious, serious danger of being out of the League, I would’ve said you were crazy. Did I think he was a lock to be an NBA star? Definitely not. But at the very least, I saw him as being a valuable scorer in some team’s rotation.
Yet here we are; Morrison is at the end of his rookie contract and he is in the Vegas Summer League playing for his NBA life. From today’s L.A. Times:
Morrison realizes there is much on the line, starting in Las Vegas. He will turn 25 on Sunday, but this represents a career juncture for him.
“Yeah, it’s my contract year,” he said. “If I don’t perform well, I might not be in the league. It’s definitely a big year.”
In Charlotte, it got worse for Morrison before it would get any better. He suffered a torn ligament in his left knee in an exhibition game against the Lakers in October 2007 that required surgery.
“It was terrible,” he said.
Not only because of the pain and career-threatening nature of the injury, but Morrison felt a chance to correct the pro record had been wrested away, pulled out of his control.
He was jokingly asked whether the critical website in question had asked him for an interview after he was traded to the Lakers in February along with Shannon Brown for Vladimir Radmanovic.
“Not really,” he said. “A lot of people thought I was terrible and done for good and one of the worst picks of all time,” he said. “I heard all of that. It was tough to swallow.
“Like I said, to come back and get hurt and not get the chance to prove myself was probably the worst.”
He praised the Lakers for giving him this opportunity, saying he felt his confidence soaring even in practice, and even though he was on the bench in their run to the title.
The message? Well, his career is not six feet under.
“A lot of people left me for dead,” Morrison said. “A lot of people said I couldn’t play. And [the Lakers] gave me a chance to get healthy, and I’ll get a chance hopefully to prove I can play.”
I know he was still recovering from his knee issues last season, but I still thought it was kind of crazy that he couldn’t get any tick at all in the Lakers’ rotation after he came over in the Vlad Radmanovic trade.
If he can find his shot and step in to fill a specific role with the Lakers (a shooter coming off the bench in limited minutes), I think he’d be a nice secondary weapon in their championship mix.
What do you think, is Adam Morrison done?
Read the full L.A. Times article HERE
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July 16th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
QQ says:
dude should be directing porn films, str8 up!
July 16th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
benji says:
i really don’t hope so..man he could be a good scorer and so on,,but injuries,, i really hope that this terrible backside with being a pro just dissapears this season and lets gilbert get healthy ..4real
BTW here
July 16th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
BRUCE says:
His NBA career is over but not basketball, he can go to Europe.
July 16th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
benji says:
is my and the becoming all year rookie team:
pg : stephen curry(or ricky rubio if he signs)
sg: james harden
sf: Austin Daye or JOnas jerebko
PF: blake griffin
C: if hasheem becomes better,otherwise jerebko;D..
July 16th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
That's whats up says:
A-Mo can’t be worse than J.J. Red-Dick, and red-dick is gettin’ minutes
July 16th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
marcus the great says:
if he can shoot, and at least not be a liability on the court defensively then he has a shot. you can always use a shooter imo
July 16th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Tbest says:
I think he is going to surprise a lot of people and be a solid part of the Lakers rotation this year. People talk like he has been terrible since he came in the league, but as a rookie he averaged a respectable 12 ppg (would have been 8th among this years rookies in scoring). I think if he gets fully healthy there is no reason he couldn’t do at least what he did as a rookie. Granted, he won’t get the minutes, so he won’t score 12ppg. But he could still be a solid role player.
July 16th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
LAballer says:
anything is better than sasha coming off the bench and shooting..that piece of fly shit after the fly ate dog shit does ONE good thing and at least FOUR bad things EVERY TIME HE STEPS ON THE COURT..i cant it..
i hope morrison takes over sashas spot as the shooter off the bench..and i hope he brings back the mustache look..im down with it..
July 16th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Chilirey says:
LABaller is right on the nut…I’d trade Sasha for CHeryl Miller…today!
July 16th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
Oscarisalakerfan says:
Gonna drop buckets this season of the bench!!!!!
July 16th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
iannyb says:
hopefully this pickup pans out for us Laker faithfuls.
July 16th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Oscarisalakerfan says:
correction off the bench
July 16th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
"Tha Boddy" Bad Like Michael says:
Ron Jeremy Jr can still be a good scorer off the bench for some team and maybe in afew years be a sixth man
July 16th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
method526 says:
he’s been playing REALLY well in the summer. if he stays healthy and brings that same game to official games, sasha vujab*tch might be in trouble.
July 16th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
KnicksFan84 says:
The dude is the most inefficient supposed “shooter” in a long time. It’s kinda why Mike Dunleavy is simply a role player type player. Adam flat out has poor shot selection/ needs to refine his shot selection to make his percentages look better.
Defensively… well you are what you are so either become lights out shooter or you’re beginning to look a lot like Luke Jackson…
July 16th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Chilirey says:
That would be befenicial of AMo being in the second team triangle you don’t have to create your own shots, if run properly, the shots will come to you.
Kerr
Paxson
Hodges
Horry
Fisher
Walton
all benefited from the triangle…
July 16th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
TomGfromCanada says:
adam morrison is a waste of a roster spot and does not deserve that ring.
July 16th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Chilirey says:
every roster has on….but the Lakers had/have 2 for sure in Sasha & Sun….AMo can sell tix in representing Porn Valley.
July 16th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
lifep says:
To post 1-18, if applicable…”Hi Haters”
July 16th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Well hes got one year to prove we SHOULDNT have left him for dead..
Talk is talk.. now walking?? thats when you see if your man enough to cop to ur talking.. hes always taken everything everyone has said and let it get to him NEGATIVELY.. thats a talker to me..
A walker says F$%K all that and walks even harder..
July 16th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
LakeShow84 says:
But the mans a Laker now so im pulling for him!
Bust yo ass Morrison! we can use another sniper!
July 16th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
karizmatic says:
Adam Morrison is done he’s going to be on the verge of being out of the league for the rest of his career if he even manages to stay in the league at all. I never thought he would be any good anyway. I am pulling for him as a Laker fan but I really don’t see it for him. He seems to be slower than Mike Miller without any real feel for the NBA game. We’ll see.
July 16th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Mack Brownee says:
A-mo tearin up the summer league and will find his niche in the nba, whether it’s w/ the lakers or some other team remains to be seen but he’ll find a spot and produce quality minutes. Bet that!
July 16th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Chris From LB CALI says:
DAMN @ Michael Jordan not knowing how to Direct a TEAM!!
he needs to step down from that roll and attempt coaching
July 16th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
bixby says:
for a shooter, he shoots a real crap %. can’t get his own shot and can’t knock down open shots with consistency. nba defenders have him neutralized.
maybe he can turn things around and get a call from olympiakos to replace j-chill when he returns next year.
July 16th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
thomasmmm says:
ariza wasn’t a big deal in his first LAL season, under the radar until the flagrant foul on Rudy Fernández. luke walton flourished for a bit, so give adam his chance.
July 16th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Big Island says:
Dude is a scorer more than a shooter. Reddick can flat out shoot. Morrison can score. He needs to get Sasha’s minutes.
July 16th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
JAmes says:
Stick a fork in him he is done- He does not have the D to play in the leage – I can get around him- slowest feet in the L
July 16th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
QQ says:
he should start his campaign by cutting his hair, and trimming his porn ‘stache. At least that way he’d look like an NBA player. Next step, stop smoking cigarettes. Not a good look for an NBA player.
July 16th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
sh!tfaced says:
rather see the ‘stache than vujabitch. a-mo can play, his confidence is just a bit shot right now.
July 16th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Sacto_J says:
Morrison looks like a young Jason Bateman with hippie hair and a porn ‘stache. “Just say no” to dunks…
July 16th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Chris From LB CALI says:
@Big Island
WTF!!!!! wow @ you Riding REDDICK!! he SUXX!
July 16th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
KnicksFan84 says:
Adam Morrison = 50 Cent’s comment about Game = “GAME OVER”
This dude was trash right from the start. Go take you’re basketball and cry on home, this game is for men, not waaah waah boys.
July 16th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
shake&bake says:
I watched Morrison in the summer league game against the Clippers and his game looks kind of like Hedo with a little less dribbling. I know it’s summer league, but I think he can be a good scoring option off the bench.
July 17th, 2009 at 5:54 am
chief youngblood says:
I love adam ” the conundrum ” morrison.
he’s incredibly strong in spirit, he’s been at the top he’s been at the bottom
now get my boy back into rotation , back on the hardwood , and back into america’s heart.