Denver Nuggets: Examining The Growth Of Gary Harris
Since recently returning from injury, Gary Harris has helped reignite the Denver Nuggets and his overall development remains key to their ongoing rebuild.
While this year has been been a roller coaster overall, the Denver Nuggets have been turning it on as of late.
Currently just on the outside of the top half of the West at 14-19, recent changes to the starting lineup made by head coach Mike Malone have the Nuggets trending in the right direction. Those changes, however, are quickly being overshadowed by the play of 21-year-old Nikola Jokic, who’s gradually becoming a must-watch player with each passing game.
Although Jokic has been the clear standout of the many faces in the team’s young foundation this year, another promising player for the Nuggets has been integral in helping the team turn things around after being out of action.
Now in his third year, Gary Harris has been somewhat overlooked as part of the team’s growing young nucleus of players. The 22-year old Michigan State product has seen his ups and downs in his young NBA career, with his entire rookie season being as forgettable as they come.
But by and large, Harris’ development since then has flown under the radar next to the emergence of the sixth man-type Will Barton and now the arrival of rookie Jamal Murray, in terms of the team’s backcourt. This season, however, has shed a light on the importance of Harris within the team, even in limited action.
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After missing the start of the season due to a partially torn groin, Harris played a brief spell of games before being sidelined once again with a foot injury.
Now back fully healthy and resuming his role as the team’s starting shooting guard, Harris has helped provide a spark for the Nuggets, one they were clearly in need of.
Over the last eight games, Harris is averaging 14.6 points per game on 50 percent shooting from the field and 41.9 percent from deep. Along with those numbers, he’s averaging 3.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists and a steal per game during that span.
With Harris back on the floor, the Nuggets are currently 5-3, which is by far their best stretch of the season. Specifically in regards to Harris, though, the Nuggets are +5.7 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court and are -5.6 points per 100 possessions with him off during this stint, making that an 11.3 point drop-off in total (per NBA.com).
Of course, this stretch screams small sample size and considering the nature of the Nuggets this year, nothing is guaranteed to last throughout the entire year.
But what this does do for Harris is continue to confirm how essential he is for the Nuggets moving forward.
Being a versatile defender, who only continues to improve as a knockdown three-point shooter (currently shooting a career-best 38 percent from deep), Harris might be as well-rounded of a player in the Nuggets’ young core right now.
Yes, his upside is certainly not on the level of Murray’s or even Emmanuel Mudiay‘s, that is if he ever comes close to ironing out his eye-opening limitations. With that being said, there’s a certain value in what Harris brings, especially on the wing. As we all know well by now, players like Harris are exactly what teams are desperately looking for in the league.
That alone arguably makes him as valuable of a player the Nuggets have right now, outside of Jokic.
As they continue to shape their roster and harness the potential of their many promising players, the Nuggets are clearly willing to take it one step at a time in order to return to their winning ways. Whenever they reach that point though, it feels safe to say that Harris will not only be along for the ride, but be an essential part of it.