Adam Morrison knows how hard it is going to be to shake the label: bust.
But he longs for the chance.
“I understand I’m never going to shake being a bust or being a failure in some people’s eyes,” said Morrison, the No. 3 draft pick by Charlotte out of Gonzaga in 2006. “I’ve experienced a lot of highs in basketball, so I guess you could call it a hardship, but it’s really not. I get to play basketball for money. That’s pretty good.”
Morrison hopes the money comes from an NBA team again, so he was among 21 free agents, many with NBA experience, who yesterday competed in the start of a three-day mini-camp staged by the Nets in East Rutherford.
Morrison was a second-team All-Rookie choice with the Bobcats before being derailed by an injury, shaky shooting and worse defense. He missed what should have been his second season in Charlotte with a torn ACL and shot 37.3 percent and averaged 7.5 points over three seasons. He spent 1 ½ seasons with the Lakers, copping a title ring in 2010, when he averaged 7.4 minutes. He failed to secure a roster spot with Washington as a free agent during the 2010-11 preseason.
Not quite what was envisioned for the College Player of the Year who averaged 28.1 points for Gonzaga before turning pro. He’s back from overseas trying to land with the Nets, who expressed interest two years ago but saw the plan snuffed when Morrison sprained an ankle.
“It just didn’t work out. I ended up taking the year off and then played overseas last year. So one more shot and see what happens,” said Morrison, who played in Turkey for Besiktas, the team that retired Deron Williams’ number.
Morrison, at 6-foot-8 and looking much thinner than he did in his pro days, gave it another try yesterday.
“He knows how to play. Unfortunately he didn’t have a point guard who could find him because he came off screens open,” Nets general manager Billy King said. “But he knows how to set himself up, come off screens. He didn’t make some shots early, but he got them to go. One thing, we know he can do that.
“It doesn’t always happen right away. … Sometimes it just takes the right situation, the right coach giving them the confidence level.”Morrison has a lot of former NBA company at the mini-camp. Among those competing are five-season 6-foot-11 veteran Hilton Armstrong (No. 12 pick in 2006), four-season 6-foot-8 vet Julian Wright (No. 13, 2007), four-season 6-foot-8 pro Al Thornton (No. 14, 2007) and a four-year Pacer, 7-footer David Harrison (No. 29, 2004).