Marcus Morris Undermines Teammate Jarrett Allen’s Decision To Not Play Games In the 2024 Playoffs By Saying He’d Play

The rib injury that Jarrett Allen sustained in the first round of the postseason has received a lot of unwanted attention. At first, it was believed that the star was trying hard to return to the fold. However, since the Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated from the playoffs, it has been reported that there is frustration within the franchise around the ordeal. Amidst this, Marcus Morris made a rather controversial statement about what he would do in the same situation. On the Run it Back show,

“You don’t have an option to rehab but you got an option to play. I can’t speak on how bad it was with Jarrett but if you put me in that same position, do I play? Yes,”

Marcus Morris also mentioned that he wasn’t surprised to see the center sidelined for the final three games of the series against the Orlando Magic. But, the fact that the All-Star decided to sit out the entirety of the next round did come as a surprise to him.

“Orlando was a very physical, physical-a** series, so I wasn’t surprised he didn’t come back in that one. A little bit surprised about the Boston one, but not too much about Orlando because they were some physical young cats and, [if] he got hit one more time, it could have been different. I think Boston is not as physical, more just talent and skillful guys,” Morris concluded.

Jarrett Allen hurt his ribs during Game 4 of the first-round series. Despite there being no fixed timeline for his return, the big man seemed to have been experiencing “mobility issues” (per NBA.com), making it difficult for him to don the jersey against the Florida side.

With Allen allegedly prioritizing safety, J.B. Bickerstaff was forced to sideline his starting center for the entire series against the Boston Celtics.

During the regular season, Allen suited up for the second-highest number of games among the Cavaliers. So, for him to intentionally miss games even when healthy doesn’t sound quite like him.

However, considering that the Cleveland side believed that they had a chance to upset Jayson Tatum and co. with the 6ft 11” star on the lineup, the frustrations are only understandable. And with J.B. Bickerstaff’s firing, the sentiment only grew more justified.

Marcus Morris believes J.B. Bickerstaff’s firing was inevitable

Following the Cleveland Cavaliers’ exit from the playoffs, it didn’t take long before head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was fired, something that came as a shock to the NBA community.

In Bickerstaff’s stint as the head coach, the Ohio side went from being a 15^th seed to a 4^th seed in the Eastern Conference. However, Marcus Morris claimed that the firing came after there was a visible disconnect with the remaining team.

Even though the player claims that the coach is a “good dude”, Bickerstaff just couldn’t make a significant push to win the title in his four years in the driving seat.

“Honestly, yeah, I kind of seen it (disconnect with the team),” Morris said.

“Sorry to say it. He’s been around there for a while, sometimes it’s just a little bit too long. I think he had the locker room. I think his time just ran out. Good dude on and off the court.”

Apart from the Cavs searching for a new coach, they also have to tackle the rumors of Donovan Mitchell being frustrated with the franchise as well. Clearly, the 2024 offseason is going to be a busy one for the front office with several crucial decisions to be made regarding the roster and the team’s future.