Brooklyn Nets: the Joe Harris problem
Joe Harris signed a minimum contract last summer to join the Brooklyn Nets. He was a nice bench scorer at times to start the season. Harris eventually played his way into the starting lineup. There were ups and downs to his season but his injuries may prevent him from getting another shot.
Competition is necessary to breed success. In basketball, an overabundance of talent at one position can create the necessary friction for a player to raise his game to an elite level.
No one in their right mind thinks the Nets have too much talent. They have an All-NBA level center in Brook Lopez. They have a versatile point guard who has led winning teams in Jeremy Lin. The Nets do not have an overflow of talent, however.
They do just so happen to have plenty of guards on their roster, though. At the point guard spot they feature Lin, Isaiah Whitehead and Spencer Dinwiddie. The Nets reported interest in Milos Teodosic could crowd the backcourt even further.
The Nets have even more options at the 2-spot. Caris LeVert is the team’s great hope and should be the team’s starting shooting guard. Sean Kilpatrick is capable of playing either wing spot. If he was a true wing though, Sean Marks wouldn’t have said that the team needed a small forward in free agency.
Randy Foye was the team’s starting shooting guard for most of the season. It seems likely that Foye would return to his starting post if he is retained by management. Archie Goodwin surged late in the season and was a bench leader during the team’s respectable end of the season. He has commented on feeling comfortable with Brooklyn and wanting to re-sign.
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KJ McDaniels also figures to get some burn at the two-spot if he is retained. The athletic wing is best suited guarding the elite small forwards of the league but can also theoretically play in the backcourt for bigger line-ups.
Where does Joe Harris fit in all of this?
For starters, Harris has a spot to fit into. He is signed on for the 2017-18 season. The only problem is that his minimum salary isn’t even guaranteed. He could be waived with no financial consequences for the Nets.
Even if it wasn’t his cap hit is so low that it wouldn’t matter. The Nets aren’t pinching pennies to avoid luxury taxes anymore. They are actually well below the salary floor. Having dead money is a benefit. The team is paying Deron Williams not to play after all.
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Harris played well in his first season in Brooklyn. The former ACC Player of the Year shot 39 percent from downtown, hoisting up over four 3-pointers per game. He scored eight points in 21 minutes per game, starting in 11 games for Brooklyn. Harris was a positive presence most of the time he was on the floor.
Unfortunately he missed quite a bit of time. Missing 30 games in a season always raises red flags. It is even more a cause of concern when you consider he only appeared in five games last year due to injury.
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Harris’ injury opened the door for others to step up. Goodwin made the most of his opportunity and potentially earned a spot on the team for next year. LeVert proved that he is the shooting guard of the future for Brooklyn. Who knows what sort of talent (restricted fee agent Kentavius Caldwell-Pope perhaps) Marks will be talking to that play the 2-spot.
There is no satisfying solution to the Harris problem. The likely one is that Harris’ days on the Nets are numbered.