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Home > Mark Bradley > Archives > 2008 > December > 19 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USEx-Jacket grabs unlikely spot in NBA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The contract was signed, and then everything changed. No, this has nothing to do with Rafael Furcal. This is a happier tale.
Anthony Morrow was headed to the Ukraine to play basketball. The deal had been cut, although with which team he can’t remember. Then the Golden State Warriors, for whose summer-league team he’d played — he’d also been with the Miami Heat’s — offered guaranteed money to sign.
Cute story, huh? A guy from Georgia Tech doesn’t get drafted but finds a spot in the NBA.
Wait. It gets better.
On Nov. 15, Morrow scored 37 points against the Clippers to set a league record for most points by an undrafted rookie. He did it in his first pro start. He did it with such little fanfare that Baron Davis of the Clippers asked reporters: “Oh my gosh. Who was that guy?”
Said Morrow: “The only person who knew me was Eric Gordon. We played against each other last year.”
Morrow scored 25 points against Portland three days later, and suddenly the unassuming young man who’d been taking BART — San Francisco’s MARTA — to games was being hailed by U.S. News, an austere publication that doesn’t normally cover the Golden State Warriors, as a “hero” for “all workplace rookies.”
It would be nice to report that Morrow has gone on to score 30-some points in every game, but the cold truth is that he no longer starts. Still, he’s part of the Warriors’ rotation, and his average of 10.4 points ranks him eighth among rookies.
Morrow scored 15 points against the Hawks on Friday night. At noon he’d been greeted by a media conclave — two TV cameras, two print reporters — after Golden State’s shootaround. He conceded the past two months have been one giddy ride. “I’ve tried to take it all in stride,” he said, which is surely easier said than done.
He led Tech in scoring in two of his four seasons, but he was never the focal point. He was the standstill shooter — “You’re just a catch-and-shoot guy,” was how Paul Hewitt constantly prodded Morrow — who over time learned to dribble a little and make a post-up move. But he never made as much as third-team All-ACC, and even Morrow wasn’t surprised at not being drafted.
Said Don Nelson, Golden State’s coach: “[General manager] Chris Mullin picked him up. I didn’t know who he was. I later found out he played at Georgia Tech. To have that kind of skill — shooting — and go undrafted is amazing.”
Morrow: “I always believed I had a chance. It was a matter of opportunity. Every time I took the court against somebody who was drafted, I took it personally.”
And now he’s a double-figure scorer in the only league that matters, and according to his coach, Morrow is “trying to take the next step — becoming a basketball player. … When they took away his [outside] shot, he didn’t have the rest of the game. But he’s coming along nicely. … He’s the hardest worker on the team.”
Over 123 collegiate games, Morrow averaged 11.4 points, never scoring more than 31 in a game. In his first NBA season he’s averaging nearly that much, and he’s doing it for a team based in a city he’d never visited until he reported to work. It’s a feel-good yarn that just happens to be true.
“Of course I’m the same guy,” said Morrow, pretending to bristle at the suggestion that sudden success might have sapped his customary sweetness, and certainly he seems as wide-eyed and engaging as ever. Heck, he’s just thrilled to be in the U.S. The NBA is a raging bonus.
So how well did he know the Ukraine? “I visit every year,” said Anthony Morrow, lying.
Permalink | Comments (36) | Post your comment | Categories: Hawks/NBA, Tech/ACC
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By BravesFan79
December 19, 2008 8:01 PM | Link to this
Good job Anthony! I rooted for you at GT and ill root for ya in the NBA…. Go Jackets!!
By Paul
December 19, 2008 8:05 PM | Link to this
Just think how Tech might have done with Morrow if Paul Hewitt had a clue how to run an offense. Unfortunatley, all he knows is to stand around for 30 seconds and then force a tought shot at the shot clock buzzer. He still gets a free pass for lucking into the Final 4 a few years ago but after he struggles with his good recruiting class next year, he will be gone.
By glorydays
December 19, 2008 8:40 PM | Link to this
I live in Sonoma Ca outside of SF and don’t get to see the Hawks much. Saw the Celtics game and that was pretty good, but tonight they are atrocious, no defense. Josh Smith is a disgrace on D, he just stands around the perimeter watching Bibby fight for rebounds. On offense he stands outside and waits to be thrown the ball and when he gets it you can forget about getting it back. Where is the coaching? I don’t care how talented Josh is, when he plays like that his butt needs to be on the bench. He plays as if: “Hey, I get my check either way, who cares.”
By ga_tech_92
December 19, 2008 9:44 PM | Link to this
Go Jackets!
By Zach
December 19, 2008 9:52 PM | Link to this
He’s always had a great outside shot. Maybe there’s a slight chance that he’s improving in the NBA, and it wasn’t that Paul Hewitt did everything he could to hold him back. Besides, at GT we had good enough big men inside where he didn’t need to go in much, and GS is much much smaller.
Good for Anthony. I’m surprised no one drafted because of his great outside shot.
glorydays is right, outside of his blocking ability. What’s worse is Smith’s ball-handling skills are terrible. Turnover machine.
I’m surprised Jeremis Smith didn’t get anywhere. He was an absolute beast inside.
By Mark Bradley
December 19, 2008 10:09 PM | Link to this
If you’re counting, that makes four players off the 2007 Tech team — Morrow, Crittenton, West and Young — that are in the NBA.
By Seth
December 19, 2008 10:10 PM | Link to this
Paul Hewitt exposed!!!!!! Get out of town Hewitt!!!!!!
By GT GRAD
December 19, 2008 10:32 PM | Link to this
GT has a superb rookie class coming next year and we have a strong group of players for the new guys to mesh with…….might just be the start of something fantastic. If Derrick Favors decides to play at GT, this group should be called the FAB 5 South. Stop being so freaking negative and give Paul Hewitt and his coaching staff a chance. I for one support Paul and the GT basketball team; I just hope he/they do the most with the players who are lucky enough to play basketball at GT!!
By gtfan
December 19, 2008 10:53 PM | Link to this
so mark…. sounds like you have the start for a new column!
probably a good idea to see how we fair in the first half of the acc eh?
it will give you a bit of time to do some research….
when is the last time a team had a losing season at home, in the acc and had 4 nba players on the same team.
my guess is NEVER!
By willie
December 19, 2008 10:55 PM | Link to this
I always wondered why Morrow wasn’t drafted. He is tall enough, quick enough and has the amazing range on his jumper…most importantly, he has a very quick release. He’ll be in the NBA a long time with that shooting ability. Go Jackets and Hawks!
By Joshua Barlowe
December 19, 2008 11:11 PM | Link to this
Can Paul Johnson coach basketball??
By Mark Bradley
December 19, 2008 11:29 PM | Link to this
I don’t think the 2007 team had a losing record at home. It won 20 games, made the NCAA tournament and lost to Vegas in Round 1.
By Wrecker1
December 20, 2008 12:12 AM | Link to this
Morrow reallys seems like a good kid but when you’re skinny, don’t have ball handling skills, don’t rebound, you’re not a shut down defender and you average about a dozen points a game you generally don’t get drafted. Maybe he was being held back at TECH but the good news is Anthony will work hard to improve his game.
By Connie Lingous
December 20, 2008 3:02 AM | Link to this
Mark, GTU’s home ACC record in 2007 - not overall home record - was a losing record.
As to Morrow, I totally agree that his is a story that all alumni of our University can point to with pride, although I agree Hewitt should be on the hot seat but for some reason isn’t.
By Techster
December 20, 2008 7:10 AM | Link to this
This is a great story for Anthony - keep it up!! Unfortunately, it says more about the overmatched and overpaid coach who failed to recognize what was on his own team. I’ve said since day 1 that it was a mistake to throw a pile of money and a long term contract at a guy who had a bunch of scrappy players win several close nailbiter games in the NCAA tourney a few years ago. That team had a pedestrian regular season and we haven’t had a good season since. Have we even had a winning conference record since then?? We unloaded the “just keep paying me” coach Gailey for a real coach, now we need to do the same with Coach Clueless.
By GT71
December 20, 2008 7:29 AM | Link to this
I wish you people would stop with this ‘GTU’ business. No matter how much the current lame Tech administration wants to make Tech into some lib social services ‘university’, it is NOT a university. It is an Institute. An Institute of science and engineering. Thank God. You want ‘feelings’ - go to UGA or UNC. At Tech we still prefer facts.
By Baracked the Vote!
December 20, 2008 8:27 AM | Link to this
One of your better columns, Mark. Always nice to hear about a man who, through his own diligence, hard work, and of course, talent, can make his dreams come true.
By cb
December 20, 2008 9:24 AM | Link to this
Well, another one Hewitt could not fully develop.
By IndyGT
December 20, 2008 10:10 AM | Link to this
I’m glad for Morrow.. He never was a superstar, but he did have one sweet shot! As for CPH, I’m giving him this year, but not the next one. We have a good recruiting class coming in, Probably will lose Lawal, but hopefully can get Favors. We better make it out of the first weekend in the NCAA tournament in the next 2 years.
By The BlogFather of Scroll
December 20, 2008 11:21 AM | Link to this
U live by the 3, U die by the 3.
“In the Paint” is the only way to win in b-ball; so brush aside your longball theories, and get the ball inside.
It’s like football: you cant pass if you dont run. Well, you cant get open for threes if you dont go inside, close up and dirty.
ANd I’m sick of being the only one who tells it like it is. What R U people? Tin Fans? Automatons? Robots? Machines?
Put a little heart into it and try to remember all those games of “horse” and “your mamma” and “three man globetrotter” we all played growing up.
Basketball is nothing more than football with a bigger baseball. Otherwise the rules are the same.
morons.
And Michael Jordan does’t count in planning a b-ball game. He defied natural law and cant be duplicated. Ditto tiger woods when you plan your golf game. Dont even go there. Pretend he doesn’t exist.
Stooges.
By wreckmaniac
December 20, 2008 11:26 AM | Link to this
Great story Mark. Thanks. Also appreciate the comment about the 4 ‘07 players from Tech in the NBA. Astounding. Its about time we heard something positive from this program.
By GT
December 20, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this
Maybe our basketball program is showing shades of Gailey. Lots of talent under served. They were both hired by the same athletic director, who believed showing up was all that was required, if I remember right. This team this year looks sloppy like several of his teams. Watch them take the ball out after the other team scores. There is always confusion and the ball usually sits on the ground for a period and the defense gets to set up against us. We then look clumsy throwing the ball in and lose it many times on a bad pass. Then notice the other team,this is not the case with them practically every time. We are a horrible free throwing team and I wonder if that is caused by lack of interest or lack of hard work. We are also weak in the upper body and cannot hold on to the ball either passed or rebounded. We don’t concentrate and the ball is bounding off our bodies untouched by the player’s hands like he is surprised it was thrown or came his way. Notice this and see if I am not right.
By George P
December 20, 2008 12:54 PM | Link to this
Early success, great year after year recruiting, high expectations with some top twenty rankings, only to finish middle of the pack season after season and out of the tourney. So if DRad can run Bond Shymansky (volleyball, for those not in the know) for that type of performance, WHY OH WHY do we get year after year of the same thing with Hewitt, and in a revenue sport at that?
By GT4Life
December 20, 2008 1:14 PM | Link to this
To all of the Hewitt detractors - I guess Duke should fire Coach K too…seeing how well JJ Reddick has fared in the NBA. Obviously Morrow has “developed” more than Reddick has. How do you go from being a regularly 20+ points/game college player to a nobody in the NBA? Just go to Duke where 18 of your 20 points will come from bogus foul calls. AND TO ALL THAT SAY THAT HEWITT HAS HAD “GREAT RECRUITING CLASSES”, I SAY “WHEN”? HIS RECRUITING CLASSES DO NOT COMPARE WITH THE UNC’s and DUKE’s of the ACC. And most of his best recruits have left after 1 season because he HAS developed them enough in the eyes of the NBA experts. Unlike T. Hansborough at UNC who has been near the league lead in scoring since he was a freshman but was advised to return to school by the NBA. He’s a beast at the college level but not good enough to be drafted high…something fishy is going on there me thinks.
By The BlogFather of Scroll
December 20, 2008 1:59 PM | Link to this
I played b-ball in the 8th grade. My coach said I was the greatest he ever saw. I double dribbled and fouled out of every game in the first four minutes. That’s cause the refs were all against me.
I hate cheatin’ refs.
By Not Disappointed
December 20, 2008 2:27 PM | Link to this
God Job Morrow. Go Jackets!
By Daaaaaarrrr
December 20, 2008 4:00 PM | Link to this
Just goes to show that for all the talent Paul Hewitt is able to recruit, he has difficulty figuring out how to get the maximum returns on that talent. I for one hope that Morrow does shine in the NBA for many seasons to come.
By MUTT_H8R
December 20, 2008 4:23 PM | Link to this
“Connie” is an idiot Dawg. Just ignore.
Hewitt=squandered talent. It was a fun ride back in 2004. The honeymoon is over.
Paul Johnson started his coaching career in basketball! Hey, if John Heisman can coach Tech football and baseball at the same time…(just kidding, for the slow UGA trolls).
By Mark Bradley
December 20, 2008 11:55 PM | Link to this
To GT4Life: Wouldn’t J.J. Redick’s — and Shelden Williams’, too — NBA struggles actually be an endorsement of Krzyzewski? He dominated what is supposed to be the nation’s best conference with two guys who haven’t done a thing as pros. Sounds like pretty fair coaching.
I don’t really want to get into a big discussion on Hewitt in this space. But I’ll get around to it soon enough.
By GT4Life
December 21, 2008 10:51 AM | Link to this
Mr. Bradley,
JJ Redick’s and Sheldon Williams NBA struggles would be a testament to Krzyzewski’s ability if it wasn’t true for all of his “superstar” players. Always seemed to be more of a testament of the officiating bowing to Coach K…kind of like they used to do with Coach Dean Smith.
By GTIronman
December 21, 2008 11:04 AM | Link to this
He’s got a great presence, but he can’t win with the talent he recruits. Please get us a new coach like Johnson for Christmas. Classof ‘89/’98.
By sunday
December 22, 2008 1:17 PM | Link to this
C’mon mark! We want to hear what a real journalist (and not a bunch of bored bloggers) thinks about Hewitt!
By GT22
December 27, 2008 9:07 AM | Link to this
Jackets fans need to stop being ungrates. Hewitt may not be doing the best job in the world but it could be worst. The Anthony Morrow story is awesome, heres a guy who worked his butt off to get to where he is in the pro game. The college and pro game is two different beast so stop comparing what a player do on a college level and think it always translate professionally. College in my opinion is more of a team game because you have to integrate guys that have minimal talent, on the pro level the teams are made up of guys who are generally the best in the world at what they do, so there individual talent and skill set shows even greater. Case in point Michael Jordan at UNC and Michael Jordan the Chicago Bull. Give Hewitt a break, he did show he can take a team to the final 4……how many other coaches in tech history did that? Cremins…who else? exactly. Just chill and be a fan.
By bearcasey
January 6, 2009 7:51 AM | Link to this
I’m happy for Morrow because he’s a good kid but as a GT fan, I don’t really care about how former GT players do in the stupid NBA. I care about how GT does in the ACC. Not so good since the final four season. What are our priorities? At least Crit’s mom has a house!
By TONY SHUMPERT
January 7, 2009 4:01 PM | Link to this
Had Josh and Young stayed, GT would have went far last year. If you take into account that the NBA keeps raiding his team of freshman talent, you should understand.
By Will Bynum
January 8, 2009 1:15 PM | Link to this
Hey y’all don’t forget about me - I’m on the Pistons roster - by the way it sounds like Paul Hewitt can recruit his butt off but his players are so talented they don’t hang around long enough to foster chemistry and continuity