The Clippers X Factor has to do with more with one of the moves they made. They acquired Marcus Morris, and they didn’t do it for nothing. Therefore, he has to be the Clippers X Factor for the playoffs. Montrezl Harrell was the Clippers X Factor for the regular season. He played well, therefore so did the Clippers. Now, we know how he will help, but if the Clippers want a good shot at winning the Finals, Morris has to turn out well for them.
Marcus Morris Stats
Marcus Morris played well for the Knicks, averaging 19.6 PPG on 44.2% shooting, 1.4 APG, and 5.4 RPG. With the Knicks, he was most likely the #1 option for them. With the Clippers, he’s one of the lower options for production. He could be the 3rd-5th option for the Clippers. With Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell in the mix, he is one of those options for them. However, in a small sample size of 12 games with the Clippers, he has only averaged 9.5 PPG on 38.6% shooting, 1.5 APG, and 4 RPG. Naturally, they’re hoping they’ll be getting the Knicks Marcus Morris in the playoffs. Hopefully, with this time off, he has had enough time to build some solid rapport with teammates.
We know what Kawhi Leonard and Paul George can do. Well, hopefully, Paul George plays better than he usually does in the playoffs. But, Morris needs to prove that the Clippers acquired him for a reason. With Lou Williams threatening to sit out of the Orlando season restart for social justice, Marcus Morris is needed that much more for the playoffs. If the Clippers are to win the NBA Finals, he will need to be a focal point of their success.