He’s battling bigger guys in the post, and looking comfortable switching onto perimeter players — even unguardable studs like James Harden. He’s not even yapping at the refs that much! This version of Morris isn’t a star, but he’s a nice complementary player. He fits.
Gortat has accepted a subordinate role without slacking on his grunt duties — rebounding, solid defense, and setting nasty screens at ever-changing angles for Wall and Beal. Gortat is attempting just 8.7 shots and a measly 2.0 free throws in more than 35 minutes per game. Only 26 times in league history has a player logged so much time while getting so few cracks at putting the ball in the hoop.
Almost everyone else on that list was either a defensive specialist or shooting-phobic point guard; Ben Wallace, Shane Battier and Dennis Rodman account for 10 of the 26 qualifying player seasons. Gortat still fancies himself as more than that. He hasn’t let being an afterthought impact the rest of his game.
Morris and Gortat will also flash some fun big-to-big passing.
Even when critics turned against Bell for his offseason issues, his teammates were supportive, he says.
ALL THAT SEEMED in jeopardy this August when Bell, just off a monthslong rehab for his torn MCL/PCL, was suspended four games for his second substance abuse offense after allegedly missing several drug tests (but not failing one). The NFL reduced the suspension to three games upon appeal.
Bell had spent the previous six months splitting time between checkups in Pittsburgh and five-to-six-hours-per-day training sessions at Bommarito Performance Systems, a sprawling facility in North Miami that provides muscle activation training, acupuncture and an in-house chef.
