Happy Return

There is no doubt new Magic forward Terence Morris is happy to be back in The Show. After two seasons in basketball's hinterlands -- the D-league and Greece, in his case -- Morris is getting a second chance in the NBA.

A 6-9 small forward who began his career with the Houston Rockets in 2001-02, Morris is also thrilled to have found a new NBA home on the same team as his former college teammate Steve Francis.

"I'm very happy to be here," he says. "It's been a long two years being out of the league since playing with Houston. I've been playing in the developmental league and in Europe, and finally getting another chance to come back feels really good."

He and Francis grew up in the same area of Maryland, and they played together the 2000-01 season at the University of Maryland, in Morris' sophomore year, and again with the Rockets for two seasons.

Morris has a good idea of what the Magic expect from him: "Probably consistent defense, rebounding -- just to guard and knock down the outside shot consistently. And there's going to be times where the dirty work is going to have to be done, and that's probably going to be my role on the team this year."

His two years out of the league greatly increased his appreciation for the NBA life and helped him develop a strong work ethic.

"You've just got to keep working hard, because nothing is ever guaranteed," Morris says. "I'm just thankful for being back here, but also I feel I have to repay them [the Magic] back by consistently working hard and do what I can do to show that I appreciate being here because it's not easy."

Morris believes he understands the game better this time around and the importance of continuing to work hard.

"Just being around NBA players you kind of pick up on a lot of things -- how to take care of your body, what to do at certain times, practices and stuff like that. I've just got to make sure I go hard -- throughout practice, at the game, even if I don't get in the game. Just make sure I'm ready at all times."

Morris started 12 games his rookie season in Houston and played 117 games his two seasons there, averaging 2.9 rebounds and 3.7 points.

Coach Brian Hill has shown confidence in Morris early in the season. He played in two of the first three games and but has no feel for how much playing time to expect as the season progresses.

"I don't really expect anything. I just have to go with the flow and see how things go," he says. "You know, right now unfortunately a lot of guys are injured and missing time. There could be a chance for me to step up and try to fill in for the fellows who are hurt.

"I worked this summer on my jump shot a lot -- one dribble, two dribble, pull up, things like that. I'm just going to try to make myself better so I can play different positions, not just the 3 [small forward].

Though he makes his off-season home in Houston, where he has a girlfriend, he has grown to appreciate Orlando.

"Orlando, the city, is nice, especially the weather which is a little different. I'm so used to Maryland, where it's getting cool now. They have a lot of touristy things here, so it's giving me a chance to go out and see the city of Orlando. It's nice."

On the court, he plans to keep on contributing however he can to help the Magic reach their goal of the playoffs.

"I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing. I think I impressed them a lot since September. I just kept playing and got better and better and showed them more things that I can do," Morris says.

"I feel like I've got the talent to be here. It's just my work ethic -- just keep going and going and never look back."

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This story originally appeared in the December issue of Magic Magazine. Get your favorite Magic fan a subscription to Magic Magazine! To subscribe call 1-877-841-7070 or e-mail subscription.service@skies.com and specify you want Magic Magazine. A one-year subscription is $18.95 and two-year is just $24.95.