Gary Harris of the Denver Nuggets will bounce back.
The Denver Nuggets have been without their starting shooting guard, Gary Harris, for the past few weeks.
While Denver has still found a way to remain atop of the Western Conference standings, they still have missed their solid two way perimeter threat.
Unfortunately, due to the injuries which have sidelined him for multiple games this year, Harris’ stats have taken a bit of a hit.
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He is averaging 16.1 points per game (PPG), 1.1 steals per game (SPG), 2.8 assists per game (APG), a three point shooting percentage of 32.4% (3FG) and an effective field goal percentage (EFG) of 49.3%. Last season, the Michigan State sensation averaged 17.5 PPG, 1.8 SPG, 2.9 APG, 39.6% 3FG and an EFG of 57%.
Obviously last season’s stats are much better, but one has to consider certain circumstances which has led to this slight decline.
Number one, he has been injured as alluded to already and number two, Jamal Murray, his back court counterpart, has been progressing nicely and proving to be a capable scorer down the stretch which in turn, takes away some of the pressure on Gary. It is a double edged sword though as it also takes away opportunities for him as well.
Also, one should not fret due to the length of season still left to play. It is a long time until April which means Harris has plenty of time to get back into rythym and get his numbers up to where they were before he went down with the hip injury.
After all, he has already proven to be a resilient player as he has improved significantly every season he has been in the league. Don’t believe me? Just take a look at the numbers here.
Not to mention, he does other things well on the defensive end like holding his matchup to limited numbers.
He has only allowed one player to score double figures on him this season (CJ McCollum), and this type of defensive tenacity will prove to be key when the Nuggets face other elite back courts like the Warriors with Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, the Blazers with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, the Bucks with Eric Bledsoe and Khris Middleton and the Wizards with John Wall and Bradley Beal (if they are not traded away.)
For those who are worrying about Harris as he is returning from a hip injury, have no fear. The man always finds a way to bounce back.