Adam Morrison Has Plenty to Prove

LAS VEGAS -- The last time we saw Adam Morrison, he donned civilian clothes celebrating the Lakers' NBA Finals victory over the Orlando Magic. It was an awkward scene because Morrison had little to do with the title. Moreover, the player who accompanied him to Los Angeles from Charlotte, Shannon Brown, played a significant reserve role while the former No. 3 pick filled the final seat on the bench, left off the playoff roster.

With one year left on his rookie deal, Morrison is trying to use 2009-10 to prove he is a capable NBA player, a major question the past few years. He averaged a promising 11.8 points per game as a rookie in 2006-07 but tore his left ACL and missed the entire next season. With new coach Larry Brown, an ailing knee and a reputation for disregarding defense, the Bobcats shipped Morrison to the Lakers for Vladimir Radmanovic last February.

The player drafted ahead of Brandon Roy scored 10 total points in eight games for Los Angeles. But Lakers officials have instructed Summer League coach Chucky Brown to play Morrison major minutes. And he tallied 24 points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 33 minutes in L.A.'s 85-84 win over Toronto.

Morrison said his goals are clear.

"Learn the Triangle better and just get some run out there," he said. "I didn't play much toward the end of the season, this year, which was understandable. It was a tough a little bit but also coming to a team with the best record at the time was, I understood why I wasn't playing."

With Trevor Ariza now gone, there may be an opportunity for Morrison to contribute, but he has to learn Phil Jackson's complex Triangle offense. Obviously, coming over in midseason last year, he didn't grasp the concepts and he was still rehabilitating his surgically repaired knee. But Morrison's time is now. Another sub-par season, and he could be overseas next season, another failed lottery pick who couldn't handle the rigors of the NBA.

He doesn't want to be a statistic.

"I think somewhat, maybe my rookie year," was Morrison's response when asked if he's lived up to his lofty draft position. "But after that I took a bad hop, with the injury. That happens. But I'm thankful to get with an organization that understood that I had an injury and gave me this time to get healthy last year and use this to try to make a comeback, I guess you can say."

At 25, Morrison is still young enough to be considered a potential cornerstone. But if he is going to have a future with the Lakers, he has to master the Triangle and show he can do more than score. He's got the championship ring, but being nothing more than a well-paid cheerleader was painful.

"It's nice to win but it's tough being a competitor, not really contributing," he said. "But like I said I knew coming in I probably wasn't going to play. They said they want me to learn the Triangle offense. They want me to log minutes in the Triangle so they didn't really say you got to go out and try to get 30 a night. Just go out and show us you can handle and learn the Triangle and everything else can come in itself. So I really don't put too much pressure because I know I can score. I have to try to learn the offense."

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LAS VEGAS - JULY 10: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban talks with president and general manager Bryan Colangelo of the Toronto Raptors during NBA Summer League presented by EA Sports on July 10, 2009 at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mark Cuban;Bryan Colangelo

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Joe Dumars, president of basketball operations for the Detroit Pistons, foreground, and new head coach John Kuester spoke at a press conference, on Thursday, July 9, 2009, in Detroit, Michigan. (Kirthmon F. Dozier/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

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Detroit Pistons new head coach John Kuester spoke at a press conference, on Thursday, July 9, 2009, in Detroit, Michigan. (Kirthmon F. Dozier/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

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Detroit Pistons new head coach John Kuester spoke at a press conference, on Thursday, July 9, 2009, in Detroit, Michigan. (Kirthmon F. Dozier/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

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Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James rides a bicycle to a morning session at the annual Allen & Co.'s media summit in Sun Valley, Idaho, Friday, July 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Rashiyah Wallace, right, sits on the lap of her father, Boston Celtics forward Rasheed Wallace, who was signed as a free agent, during a news conference at the NBA basketball team's training facility in Waltham, Mass., Thursday July 9, 2009. Wallace, a 14-year NBA veteran, averaged 12.0 points and 7.4 rebounds with the Detroit Pistons last season. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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