Gary Harris didn't get much of an opportunity to play as a rookie in the NBA after being selected 19th overall by the Chicago Bulls and then being traded to the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets are looking for someone to take the shooting guard job and run with it as they don't seem to have a long-term answer there. Harris is one of the players with a chance to really impress this season as he will reportedly have a much bigger role and a chance to start, according to Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post.
Harris is still just 21 years old and is only entering his second season in the NBA but he thinks that this is a huge year for him. The former Michigan State Spartan believes that this year he will be able to breakout and the Nuggets really need him to. Randy Foye has been the starter for the Nuggets at shooting guard for the past two seasons and while he still may be the favorite Harris has a chance to push him.
In the preseason opener Harris played 29 minutes and scored 11 points on 4-8 shooting and he also racked up four steals. Harris is known as a very good defender and a lights out shooter but he was unable to show it last season due to inconsistent playing time. Because of that head coach Mike Malone still considers Harris a rookie.
"Gary Harris is coming back as a second-year player, but in my mind I call him a rookie because he never got a chance to really get comfortable and play consistent minutes. So, I don't think any of us know really who Gary Harris is and what kind of NBA player he is. So we're going to give him that opportunity this year," said Malone.
In 55 games as a rookie Harris averaged 3.4 points in 13.1 minutes per game while shooting just 30 percent from the field and 20 percent from three. Harris started the season in a shooting slump and was never able to get out of it because of the lack of playing time but that shouldn't be a problem this season. Malone makes it sound as though Harris will have every opportunity to show what he can do as an NBA player this year as he should get consistent minutes all season whether he is in the starting lineup or coming off the bench.
