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LA Clippers forward Marcus Morris has made a bold claim that the team would have reached the 2021 NBA Finals if he was not injured.
The LA Clippers had a terrific 2021 NBA playoffs, reaching the Conference Finals for the first time in their history. They did so without Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac, Serge Ibaka and forward Marcus Morris, who were all on the injury list.
Marcus Morris played the series against the Phoenix Suns, but he was not at 100%, which impacted his performances. Nevertheless, he has made a sensational claim that the Clippers would have made their maiden Finals appearance if he were healthy. He said:
"If I was 100%, I think we would've been in the Finals."
The LA Clippers would indeed have had a better chance to qualify for the NBA Finals if all their players were healthy. They overturned 2-0 deficits in the first two rounds of the 2021 NBA Playoffs, looking like strong contenders to emerge from the West. But they faltered in the Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns.
Did Marcus Morris' injury affect the LA Clippers' chances of making the NBA Finals?
Marcus Morris isn't a superstar player for the LA Clippers, but he is one of their top role players. Morris was the second-most efficient shooter from the three-point range in the league last season. He converted 47.3% of the 5.3 attempts he took from long range per game.
Morris also came up big in the playoffs. He shot 47.5% from the floor in the second-round series against the Utah Jazz, including multiple 20-point games, where he shot nearly 59% from the floor.
That wasn't the case against the Phoenix Suns, though, as he was injured. Marcus Morris struggled to play with fluidity, converting only 39.8% of his shots from the floor. In the absence of the injured Kawhi Leonard, Morris was expected to play a bigger role. But his injury impacted his chances of playing a key role.
He struggled in the first first four games as the Suns capitalized on the LA Clippers' injury woes to take a 3-1 lead. As every game (except for Game 6) between the LA Clippers and Phoenix Suns were close affairs, Marcus Morris' comments do not appear to be unfounded.
Guess the Lakers players!
