Gary Harris is better than ever

We can point at Jokic and Chandler and say that they should have been in the starting lineup a long time ago, but we can’t do the same with Gary Harris. It just so happened that his return from injury coincided with Malone’s decision to shakeup the lineup (or maybe one inspired the other), and it’s been a godsend.

Harris is no longer just a defender. He’s no longer just a cutter or just shooter, either. Harris is one heck of an NBA player, and he’s only getting better.

It may just be eight games, but so far this season Harris is averaging more points, rebounds and assists than he did last year, and he’s doing it five fewer minutes of playing time. On a per-minute basis, it’s not even close.

via Pro Basketball Reference

The rollout has been delayed, but Harris made some marked improvements over the offseason, particularly in his ball handling, which has allowed him to play the role of secondary facilitator.

A year ago, Harris’ offensive contributions centered around his ability to cut off ball and make catch-and-shoot three pointers when called upon. Now, he’s creating for himself, as he’s averaging nearly two more drives to the basket per 36 minutes (5.91 vs. 4.04) this year than last year and converting more often (50% vs. 44.1%), per NBA.com.

Throw in the fact that he’s shooting over 10 percentage points better from behind the arc than he did a season ago, and Harris has suddenly become one of the most-efficient young shooting guards in the league — and that’s without even mentioning his defense.