2014 NBA Summer League: So Your Team Brought In Michigan's Jordan Morgan?

So your NBA team, the pride of your city or maybe just the organization that employs your favorite player, just brought in Jordan Morgan for the Summer League.  What does this mean for your favorite team?  Michigan experienced a great deal of success with Morgan on the team including a National Runner-Up finish, two Big Ten titles, and four NCAA Tournament additions, but can Morgan still be a valuable addition?

Of course, as a Summer League signing, Morgan is a low risk for your team.  Not only did your team avoid using a Draft pick on him, but they aren't necessarily committed to him for very long.  This makes Morgan an even more interesting addition.  Morgan can provide a nice defensive boost and was also a strong rebounder given his size.  Though his offensive game is more limited, he has the ability to convert off pick and rolls and can set some quality screens to get teammates open.

2014 NBA Draft Story Stream

BTP's breakdown of the Big Ten prospects in the 2014 NBA Draft

Morgan was actually just 6th on Michigan's team in 2013-14 in total field goals.  Part of this was Mitch McGary's prominent role in the lineup earlier in the season, but another part was simply because Morgan had just a 15.2% usage rate, which was 11th on Michigan's team.  However, Morgan was a good rebounder (16.0% total rebounding rate) and was arguably Michigan's best defender, especially in the post.  If Morgan had just a little bit more raw size, he may have been the best defender in the Big Ten.  Of course, he did not, but his ability to disrupt opponents and prevent easy looks was huge for the Wolverines.

Of course, Morgan did have his issues.  As detailed above, he was relatively limited on the offensive end.  He did have a PER of 19.9, which was 3rd on the team, but most of Morgan's shots were created by teammates either directly or indirectly through other players attracting defensive attention.  Morgan was also very limited on the outside as he failed to attempt a single shot from outside the arch over the course of the season.  That may be ok for a 5, but as Morgan is likely forced to play down a spot (or maybe even 2) in a bigger NBA, he is going to have to be a threat there.  Some of his limitations were simply due to the fact that Michigan had better offensive players surrounding him, but there were some big holes there he will have to address to make an NBA roster.

Of course, Morgan still can offer a lot to a team and considering that he is a Summer League signing, you expect to see some limitations to his game.  If he is able to grow into the power forward or maybe even the small forward role, he could be an interesting addition to most teams with his defense and rebounding.

Hopefully you and your NBA team will enjoy Morgan just as much as his Big Ten brethren have the last few years.