SLUMP BUSTER?
Harris displays good signs
In the heat of the moment, Nuggets reserve guard Monte Morris had no regard for Gary Harris’ deep shooting slump or the percentages that have dogged him all season.
On Sunday, during the first half of Denver’s rousing win over Minnesota, Morris dribbled baseline, dragged two defenders along with him and whipped a pass to the corner, where Harris was waiting.
Before Harris’ shot was even halfway to the rim, Morris, his back fully to the hoop, hopped toward his shooting guard knowing the 3-pointer would drop.
“When shooters shoot, no need to look,” Morris said later on Twitter.
Morris didn’t need to consider Harris’ 22% 3-point shooting since Jan. 1 or that he has looked timid on offense for months. In the moment, Morris imbued the type of confidence usually reserved for shooters like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
Harris, with 13 points on 5-of10 shooting and two 3-pointers, was huge for the Nuggets in their 128-116 win over the TWolves. His scoring came as a welcome addition to his alwayssound defense, which suffocated Malik Beasley in his return to Denver. Beasley was leading the T-Wolves in scoring coming into
Sunday’s game, and he managed just one field goal when Harris was his primary defender.
Morris said he knew Harris was locked in and focused on the matchup when there wasn’t much talking in the pregame locker room. And knowing his defense would be there, Morris said he took responsibility in trying to set Harris up for easy looks.
“Tonight, we ran a lot of stuff for Gary, trying to get him back in rhythm,” Morris said after finishing with 13 points, six rebounds and six assists. “Me as a point guard, I’m trying to do that, because when Gary gets going back in his rhythm, we’re a whole ’nother team. It was fun to see him make shots tonight, and I put a lot of that on me to try to get him in positions to be successful.”
There are still moments when Harris looks tentative, but against the Timberwolves his drives were confident and his cuts were defined. Over the last four games, which spanned the break, he’s 6-of-13 from 3-point range. But he’s still averaging only 10.2 points per game, which is a career low outside of his rookie season.
“To see him attack, to see him making shots and being aggressive, hopefully that’s just going to be the beginning of getting Gary back, because we know that we can’t be the team we want to be without Gary playing at the level we know he’s capable of,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone.