Injury- plagued seasons put in Harris’ rearview
Nuggets shooting guard Gary Harris endured injuries that held him out of more than 30 regular season games over the past two years. His scoring efficiency dropped. His foul rate rose.
You certainly couldn’t tell on Monday, though, following the second practice of Nuggets training camp. While coach Michael Malone has opened up competition for the team’s starting two guard spot, Harris’ confidence has not wavered in his search for consistency.
“Whatever happened last season and the season before, it really doesn’t matter,” Harris said during a virtual news conference. “It’s another season and another opportunity. I’m locked in and just focused on what I’ve got ahead of me. … You can’t necessarily control injuries. I’m going to fight back no matter what happens.
“I just concentrate on getting back healthy and don’t really worry about it.”
Harris, 26, enters his seventh NBA season in Denver far removed from the rising star many projected following his 2017- 18 campaign. Harris averaged 17.5 points, shot nearly 40% from 3point range and led the team in steals ( 1.8) as its best perimeter defender.
In the Orlando bubble this year, freshly rehabbed from a lingering hip issue, Harris averaged only 7.4 points on 37% shooting. Now, it’s unclear if he will start over Will Barton once he’s healthy from a knee injury that held him out of the playoffs.
Malone had many conversations with Harris in the lead- up to this season. While none have centered on whether Harris will start, Malone said, it is clear that expectations for Harris have been raised. The goal?
“Figuring out a way to get Gary playing back at the level that I know he’s capable of,” Malone said. “I think it’s important. I went back and looked at his numbers from the playoffs.”
The Nuggets witnessed flashes in the bubble. In their second- round series upset of the Los Angeles Clippers, Harris was Denver’s third- leading scorer ( 10.7) while averaging 2.6 assists and a team- high 1.9 steals. Malone said: “We don’t beat the Clippers in seven games without the productivity and efficiency of Gary Harris.”
However, Harris proved far less effective against the Lakers, shooting 25% from the field with an average of 4.2 points per game.
Harris turned the page, quickly, with the Nuggets back practicing just 10 weeks after being eliminated in the Western Conference Finals.
“The offseason was pretty short,” Harris said. “It was cool, though. I got healthy and I’m just happy to be back.”
The Nuggets are in no rush to name who will start at shooting guard. Barton was held out from live game drills for a second straight practice Monday. It gives Harris an early upper- hand to re- establish himself as a key Nuggets contributor. But a number of their athletic wings — including rookie R. J. Hampton and rising star Michael Porter Jr. — could also earn significant minutes in Denver’s guard rotation.
“We have a lot of talented players,” Harris said. “( The front office) does a good job of gathering talent. We’re a deep team and it’s how we’ve been the last few years. You can never have too much talent.”