Monte Morris 2024-25 Suns season preview: Superb backup point guard due for a bounce-back year

With all the hype surrounding Tyus Jones as a late-summer addition on a veteran minimum deal, it almost feels like the Phoenix Suns‘ signing Monte Morris is flying under the radar now.

But landing Morris on a vet minimum was a terrific signing in its own right, and there’s no question he can fill a role as a floor general off the bench and all-around vibes guy. The feeling on that fit was clearly mutual.

“I think Phoenix was the perfect spot for me as far as opportunity and just a chance to compete with a great team, a great coach, and get a chance to win a championship,” Morris said.

Over the next eight days, we’re going through our Suns season preview series, one-by-one, for all 17 players on the roster. That includes both a written piece for the avid readers (hello there!) and a video breakdown for the visual learners.

On Day 9, we’re going to take a look at backup point guard Monte Morris, why he’s such a good fit for this roster, and what he has to offer the Suns on both ends of the floor.

Monte Morris 2024-25 Suns Season Preview

Monte Morris spent most of last season season recovering from a quad injury that limited him to just six games for the Detroit Pistons. He was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves right before the trade deadline, but he struggled to get his bearings on an established playoff team while shaking off the rust, averaging 5.1 points and 2.1 assists in 15.1 minutes per game.

Suffice it to say that the 29-year-old vet is excited about the prospect of having a full season and training camp with his new team.

“I think it’s right on time, especially with me not having the year I wanted to despite injury and all those things,” Morris said. “Just having that hunger back and just that drive to just show the league that I’m still that same player, the injuries last year was a fluke. But I think it was a blessing in disguise for me to have this opportunity.”

So what can Suns fans expect from Morris as he looks to bounce back in Phoenix?

First and foremost, he’s a trustworthy floor general who takes excellent care of the ball — something that will help address Phoenix’s horrendous turnover problem from last season. Before last year’s injury-riddled campaign, here’s where Morris ranked in the entire NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio over the last five seasons:

• 2022-23: 2nd (5.43)
• 2021-22: 5th (4.27)
• 2020-21: 2nd (4.41)
• 2019-20: 2nd (4.81)
• 2018-19: 2nd (5.71)

Even last year, Morris racked up 69 assists to only 7 turnovers over 33 games in Detroit and Minnesota. He didn’t play enough games to qualify for the end-of-season leaderboards, but he would’ve had the second-highest assist-to-turnover ratio in the NBA (9.86) from his 27-game stint with the Wolves.

This is nothing new for Morris, who set the NCAA record for assist-to-turnover ratio (4.79) at Iowa State, and then broke his own record again as a senior (5.21). Assist-to-turnover data only goes back to 2008, but Morris still holds three of the top-seven single-season assist-to-turnover ratios ever recorded in NCAA men’s basketball, and four of the top 12.

Morris’ former Denver Nuggets teammate, Mason Plumlee, summed it up briefly: “He takes care of the ball, which I know is welcomed around here.”

It’s only fitting, then, that one of his nicknames on Basketball-Reference is “The Count of Monte Assist/TO.” Monte Morris wasn’t aware of that nickname, but taking care of the ball is something his mother ingrained in him from an early age.

“My mom would always be on me about taking care of the basketball,” Morris explained. “She would say, ‘Don’t let ’em steal my purse from you.’ So I kinda treat the ball like my momma’s purse, I try to just keep everything intact with that. But I’m going out there just to play basketball. I’ve been doing this since I was like four years old, so just loving the game, and it kind of just comes second nature to me as far as trying to protect the basketball. I’m not trying to not make turnovers, I’m just trying to play within myself and try to play chess, not checkers.”

Watching the film, Morris’ assists aren’t usually flashy, but he makes the right play, and more importantly, he’s careful and precise with his passes to make sure they’re not picked off:

Morris’ drive-and-kick game will also be useful to a Suns team that needs to put more pressure on the paint. In his last healthy season in Washington, Morris ranked in the 70th percentile in drives per 75 possessions, and because he shot 72.6 percent at the rim and 53.8 percent on floaters, defenders had to respect his forays into the paint.

That opens up passing lanes, and Morris ranked in the 80th percentile in drive assist rate with the Wizards. Now when he drives, he’ll be surrounded with more weapons than he’s ever had in his career between Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, not to mention sharpshooters on the perimeter like Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale.

“I think that’s one of my biggest traits as far as knowing how to adapt despite who I’m playing with,” Morris said. “Four guys out there, but I think it’s big for me to know their games, know their spots, and also know the type of person they is so I can speak to them.”

Morris can also capably run a pick-and-roll. Over the last two years, he’s placed in the 90th and 92nd percentile in assists per 75 possessions, according to The BBall Index, as well as the 97th percentile in points per possession as the pick-and-roll ball-handler in Washington.

Having lob threats like Rudy Gobert and Kristaps Porzingis over the last couple years obviously helped, but aside from the alley-oops, Morris ranked in the 97th percentile in points per possession as the pick-and-roll ball-handler in Washington.

Jusuf Nurkic won’t be throwing down lobs like these, but in the second unit, Morris will likely spend some time with his former Nuggets teammate of three years, Mason Plumlee.

“Me and Mason, we had a great run in Denver, threw him a lot of lobs,” Morris said. “He knows how to get me open, and I feel like we communicate with our eyes. I feel like we played together three years, and it was a high-level three years. He would hit me on a lot of backdoor cuts and things like that.”

In their two full seasons together, Morris assisted on 97 of Plumlee’s 439 made baskets. That’s about 22 percent of his made buckets, and if you narrow it down to his assisted makes, Morris accounted for 31 percent of those.

It’s no wonder those feelings of appreciation are mutual.

“Monte is such an underrated player,” Plumlee said. “I have so much respect for him, and I’ve been in games where he’s hit big shots, he’s made big plays. I think the attraction to him at the outset of his career was how well he takes care of the ball. Like, I know in college he had one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios. But he’s just a really smart player and someone that makes the game make sense for everybody that he’s playing with.”

Whether he’s paired with a 34-year-old Plumlee or the bouncy rookie Oso Ighodaro, Morris will have great pick-and-roll partners to work with. But much like Tyus Jones, Morris doesn’t need to pound the air out of the basketball to be effective on offense. The Suns like both of these point guards so much because they can be threats off the ball as well, and Morris knows his role could change on a nightly basis for a team that wants to play random.

“Knowing how to play with other superstar guys, I feel like that’s a skill in itself right there that me and [Tyus Jones] both have,” Morris said. “And with our experience on prior teams with different talent coming here and playing with especially Brad, KD, Book — right there, it should be enough. We’re just here to complement and be ready whenever our moment is and whenever our number’s called.”

Off the ball, Morris shot 42.4 percent from 3 last year, and for his career, he’s a 41.5 percent shooter on catch-and-shoot 3s. Being a threat to score is critical, and aside from his finishing ability, float game and 3-point shot, Morris can also create his own offense. He’s got a nice pull-up game coming off screens, and he has enough shake and bake with his handle to free himself up for shots in the midrange.

“When he’s aggressive and stepping into a shot, I think he’s as good as any backup in the league,” Plumlee said.

In Washington, Morris placed in the 92nd percentile in points per possession on isos, and now that he’s fully healthy again, we should see a similar spring in his step. The Suns want to shoot more 3s, but having a ball-handler who can get his own buckets is something this bench didn’t have last year whenever two or three of the Big 3 were off the court — particularly in those disastrous starts to fourth quarters.

“I think Monte’s gonna fit really well with us,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “He’s somebody that we targeted in free agency. We feel great about getting him, what he brings. I think being able to play with [the ball], without it, his shooting, his playmaking. He’s just a good NBA player that we’re excited about adding.”

The defensive end is where Morris will need to prove himself, especially since he’s slightly undersized at 6-foot-2. But Morris feels like he and Tyus Jones have found ways to stick in the league despite their lack of size, and he’s looking forward to building off what he showed on the Timberwolves’ top-ranked defense.

“Coming into a situation like I did in Minnesota, they were already No. 1 in the league in defense, and I just didn’t want to be a weak link, so I had to come straight in and adapt real quick,” Morris said. “I think this year was probably my best defensive year despite coming in [late]. But I think me putting on some muscle and stuff like that, it definitely made defense a little more easier, so I plan to be even better here with the Suns and set the tone when my number is called.”

The tape backs up how committed he was on that end:

In Monte Morris’ last healthy season in D.C., he ranked in the 90th percentile in on-ball perimeter defense, the 95th percentile in off-ball chaser defense and the 94th percentile in ball-screen navigation, all while spending most of his time guarding primary ball-handlers.

If he can hold his own and not be a weak link on that end of the floor, he might become one of Phoenix’s go-to defenders in the backcourt by default.

Monte Morris brings good vibes

Morris’ presence has been understated through two preseason games, averaging 4.0 points, 4.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game on 4-of-9 shooting. He’s missed both of his 3-pointers, but he’s tallied 8 assists without a single turnover — almost like sneak peak of what he’ll provide once the games matter.

“Monte’s been great,” Budenholzer said. “I think a proven veteran, been a backup on some really good teams and just a smart player. Understands how to get to a spot, how to organize a team. Been really impressed with him so far.”

Perhaps just as important is that Morris seems like a great locker room guy, which is more important than one might think for a point guard. He looks forward to getting to know his teammates’ tendencies and is willing to embrace whatever role is given to him.

“First off, I bring good energy,” Morris said. “I always try to empower my teammates and push ’em to keep shooting the ball or keep their confidence high. I feel like that’s one trait I have.”

Reuniting with Plumlee and Bradley Beal should help with his transition process, but after playing with some great players in the past, he understands how to assimilate and is looking forward to joining some “Hall of Fame players” in Phoenix.

If Monte Morris can get back to the guy who put up 10.3 points and 5.3 assists per game on .480/.382/.831 shooting splits in Washington, the Suns’ bench will be something fearsome. But even if he doesn’t, he has the right mental approach that will allow him to contribute in some way, shape or form.

“I just tell people, God don’t make mistakes,” Morris said. “I’m a firm believer in that and having faith and also just what’s meant for Monte gonna be for me. I can’t control where I end up, but I can control how I approach where I end up.

“So who wouldn’t love to be in Phoenix?”

More 2024-25 Suns season previews

• Collin Gillespie: Written breakdown | Video breakdown
• TyTy Washington: Written breakdown | Video breakdown
• Jalen Bridges: Written breakdown | Video breakdown
• Ryan Dunn: Written breakdown | Video breakdown
• Oso Ighodaro: Written breakdown | Video breakdown
• Bol Bol: Written breakdown | Video breakdown
• Damion Lee: Written breakdown | Video breakdown
• Josh Okogie: Written breakdown | Video breakdown