Denver Nuggets officially signs first-round pick Gary Harris
Bettering their backcourt, the Denver Nuggets have officially signed first-round draft pick Gary Harris.
Acquired in a draft-day trade in which the Nuggets sent Doug McDermott to the Chicago Bulls for the 16th and 19th overall picks in the 2014 NBA Draft. The 16th pick turned in Jusuf Nurkic and the 19th Gary Harris.
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Harris joins a crowded backcourt in Denver. You’ve Ty Lawson, the teams starting point guard, as well as the off-season acquisition of Arron Afflalo to take up the starting lineup. Behind those two are the likes of Nate Robinson who’s currently recovering from an ACL injury, Randy Foye, and undrafted free agent Erick Green. With Robin rehabbing, this could open the door for Harris to become a rotation player.
Harris’ ability to create on his own and play tenacious defense is a huge need in Denver. Outside of Afflalo, only Harris is known for his defense in the backcourt. While offensively there’s room to grow, mentoring under the likes of Brian Shaw and Ty Lawson will do that section of his game wonders.
A Michigan State Spartan in his college days, Harris emerged as one of the top combo guards, averaging 14.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game.
Appearing in the Las Vegas Summer League, Gary Harris averaged 18.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game.