12:30pm: Morris participated in the non-contact part of today’s practice, but Stevens said he won’t play this week, tweets ESPN’s Chris Forsberg.
11:30am: Marcus Morris could be cleared to make his debut with the Celtics tomorrow if he is able to practice today, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald.
The team is being cautious with the seventh-year forward, who was acquired from the Pistons in an offseason trade. He sat out the first three games because of soreness in his left knee.
Coach Brad Stevens said the team plans to re-evaluate Morris’ condition this week, suggesting that he might be ready for Tuesday’s game against the Knicks.
Morris would be a welcome addition for a team that is still reeling from the season-ending injury to free agent addition Gordon Hayward last Tuesday. Morris averaged 14.0 points per game with the Pistons last season and would provide some needed scoring punch.
“And at the end of the day, I want Marcus to be able to come back and be healthy and feel good,” said Al Horford. “We don’t want any setbacks, so as much as we want him out there, he needs to get healthy.”
Boston has been using a young lineup in the absence of Morris and Hayward, starting rookie Jayson Tatum and second-year player Jaylen Brown. Morris promises to bring “veteranship” to the unit and is confident his knee will hold up for the season.
“As soon as I get there, I think it’ll be fine,” Morris said. “I’m a veteran. This is my seventh year in the league. I’ve just got to move around and cut. I think it’ll be very easy for me. It’s just playing basketball the right way.”