While he is on a new team, in a new league, and in a different country, Morris Peterson’s game is still very much the same.
He still has that smooth, arcing jump shot. He still is as fluid as running water driving to the basket. He still plays hard on defense and is still an active rebounder.
And, after a half season of struggles and growing pains, Peterson can now show those attributes on a more permanent basis.
Peterson was inserted into the starting lineup by Toronto Raptors’ coach Lenny Wilkins on Jan. 7, making him the fourth ex-Spartan to start for an NBA team this year.
Mateen Cleaves of the Detroit Pistons, Eric Snow of the Philadelphia 76ers, Kevin Willis, of the Toronto Raptors before being traded to the Denver Nuggets last week, and Steve Smith of the Portland Trailblazers are the others.
“I think he has a real good feel for the game,” Wilkins said. “We’ve become a little quicker with him in the lineup. He can go inside, he can get to the basket and he can score from the outside.”
For Peterson, moving up to a starting spot on an NBA team was no small feat given he wasn’t heavily recruited out of high school in Flint.
While the plight of his childhood friend and MSU teammate Mateen Cleaves is well known in Michigan because he plays for the Pistons, Peterson is making a splash in Toronto even without the benefit of any hometown press.
“One thing I try to do is to try and take one day at a time,” Peterson said. “I think my role has changed as far as being in the starting lineup, but I still try to provide that energy, try to be that spark and a guy who helps do the little things that help us win.”
Before Tuesday’s game against the Houston Rockets, Peterson had averaged 13.8 points a game in five games since being promoted to the starting lineup. He is averaging eight points a game overall for the Raptors.
Raptors star forward Vince Carter said the addition of Peterson to the team’s starting lineup has given them a shot in the arm.
“He’s playing with confidence and is shooting the ball well. I think this is good for him,” he said. “He’s learning and he shoots the ball very well so we just put him in the game and when he gets the ball, we tell him to just shoot it.”
Peterson said he’s already seen the major differences between the college and the pro game.
“I think it’s more mental (in the NBA),” he said. “You have to prepare yourself every day and every night because in college, you may get a week off before a game or maybe play a game once a week. Now you’re playing five a week.”
Peterson said he hopes that increased grind won’t hamper him physically the rest of the season.
“They say you’re going to hit a wall, but right now I’m having fun and my body’s feeling great and I’ll try to talk to the veterans to see what I can do to get my body to recover,” he said.
One of those veterans Peterson was turning to before he was traded was Willis, who is in his 16th season in the NBA.
“He has a tremendous amount of talent and he’s going to be a very good player in this league,” Willis said. “As long as he keeps working hard like he does and he keeps willing to learn, he’s going to be great.”
Peterson said he still keeps close tabs with his ex-teammates on the MSU basketball team, calling players and coaches regularly to see how they’re doing.
MSU Head Coach Tom Izzo said Peterson has earned everything he’s gotten in his young basketball career.
“It was a good push because it was one that his family and friends were involved in,” he said. “He had a lot of people that helped him, but he gave a lot of effort too, so that’s what makes it so much fun to see him have some success.”
Despite his success in the NBA, Peterson said there are still things he misses about being in college, such as being around family and friends. He said he also misses playing at home.
