Joining a new team presents some challenges for players across all sports. Adjusting to a new team during the middle of the season can bring another set of obstacles to overcome, too.
For Thunder newcomer Markieff Morris, he faces the task of learning a new system and playing with new teammates, all while trying to pick things up and be up to speed before the playoffs begin.
From a personal standpoint, it appears as though the team has made Morris feel welcome during his short stay so far. The eight-year veteran said he heard from quite a few players prior to joining the team and it felt something like college recruitment. Dennis Schroder said last week that it feels like Morris has been with the team all season long.
As Morris adjusts to the team on the court, he’s trying to keep it simple.
For me, you just want to be a help to the team. You don’t want to come here and force things. You want everything to go smooth — how they were before you got here. So, for me, just getting acclimated to the offense and defense and playing off of guys.
Morris went scoreless in his Thunder debut Friday night against the Utah Jazz while he recorded 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 20 minutes against the Sacramento Kings.
It may be too early to really assess how Morris has fit in with the Thunder. He went just 2-of-8 from the field against the Kings so it appears he is still adjusting to his new situation and it may be a few more games before he really gets into a groove.
The Thunder still have plenty of time to get Morris acclimated, though. While the team certainly needs him up to speed as quickly as possible, the real test will come in the playoffs so Morris still has a little over 20 games to go to get ready.
