The Cavaliers drafted Joe Harris 33rd overall out of Virginia in the 2014 NBA Draft. He got very little playing time to start the year, as you would expect from a second-round rookie on a team with veterans and title aspirations. But with Matthew Dellavedova out and Dion Waiters struggling, Harris earned burn in the Cavs' win over the Pelicans, finishing with a plus/minus of plus-18.
Then, against the Celtics on Friday, Harris helped key the comeback. He played 19 minutes and was plus-22 in that spread, with a big six points, including a fourth-quarter 3-pointer from the corner. It's not like Harris is changing the context of the game with his skills, but he's a threat, and isn't ball-dominant, unlike Waiters.
As a result of that element, combined with the fact the Cavs are 46.8 points per 48 minutes better with him on the floor this season, Harris may actually wind up starting on this star-laden team.
With the way he is progressing and as well as he is playing, Joe Harris will be the starting shooting guard sooner rather than later. Much sooner. As in within a couple of weeks (or less), one source with knowledge of the team's thinking said. At least one member of the Cavs' brain trust is already in favor of the switch.
So ... how is Dion Waiters going to handle that? The team's biggest problem early on, according to LeBron James himself, is that they're too selfish. And Waiters hasn't really adjusted at all to the new superstar arrangement around him. He's still creating out of isolation, still trying to produce in one-on-one scenarios. It's one thing for Kyrie Irving to do it, he's been shooting the lights out. But Waiters tends to bog down the flow.
But what does Harris provide? He's barely existent on the floor. He just stands there and waits to shoot.
Well, that has value, too. Not trying to force anything has value with a team that has this many weapons. Mike Miller fills the same role, but Miller is limited physically at this point and is in a bit of a slump. Miller was the first guy you saw on the Cavs' bench going nuts when Harris hit the big 3 against Boston.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is be an invisible threat. Harris is doing that, and improbably, putting himself in position to start for this super-team.
HT: HoopsHype
