Devin Harris Quietly Providing Critical Production for Dallas Mavericks
Devin Harris probably won't get many votes in the Sixth Man of the Year selection, but he is quietly having a very efficient season by his standards.
Harris, 31, is coming off an injury-plagued 2013-14 campaign in which he played just 40 regular-season games. He has managed to remain healthy this season and has embodied all the qualities Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle needs in his best player off the bench. He can pass, shoot and drive the ball, qualities that are the foundation of the Mavs' offense.
The Rajon Rondo trade shook up Dallas' bench units a great deal. Some players on the Mavs roster have been in and out of the rotation, and Carlisle hasn't been hesitant in making adjustments.
Even before the big mid-season trade. Al-Farouq Aminu saw his minutes dwindle down in favor of Richard Jefferson, while guys like Charlie Villanueva and Greg Smith have stepped up after the trade. However, Harris has remain the one true constant among the reserves.
Statistically, Harris' numbers appear modest. He is putting up 8.6 points and 3.5 assists while spending an average of 22.7 minutes per game on the floor. However, he has truly embraced his role, and his presence is crucial for Dallas.
He doesn't attack it quite as relentlessly as Monta Ellis, but Harris is still a solid finisher around the rim. He doesn't have an abundance of tricks to finish in the paint unless it's a layup attempt, but his role doesn't require him to force the ball up.
Instead, Harris has thrived as another versatile threat within a powerhouse offense. He initiates some possessions as the primary pick-and-roll ball-handler but often swings the ball to another driver once the defense collapses.
He is also more than happy to give up the ball and simply space the floor, something he didn't do as effectively earlier in his career. Harris is shooting a career-high 37.1 percent from three-point range, and defenses can no longer give him open looks from the perimeter.
Harris' improved shooting is a bit of a surprise, but a decent sample size this season suggests that it can be sustainable. It is certainly something he has worked on over the summer, according to ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon:
"Harris, a 32.1 percent career 3-point shooter, made improving his stroke a priority over the summer. He has worked with Holger Geschwindner, Nowitzki’s longtime mentor and shot doctor, and also appreciates the tips that he gets from the sweetest-shooting 7-footer in NBA history.
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According to MacMahon, Harris has been beating Dirk Nowitzki in three-point contests in practice, which might have made the German a more willing passer.
“I think when he sees me open he’s actually passing it a little bit more because he knows I’m beating him a little bit more,” Harris said. “So I think that’s definitely a bonus.”
So far, he has utilized those passes exceptionally well. According to Mavs.com's Bobby Karalla, Harris is shooting 61.5 percent from long range on attempts coming off Nowitzki's passes. He is also hitting 60.7 percent of his overall field-goal attempts when receiving the ball from Dirk.
This type of efficient shooting is also a sign that Harris is accepting a more conservative role. His usage rate this season is at 17.1 percent, a career low. This essentially means that whenever he shares the floor with Ellis, he elects to space the floor for his teammate rather than look for his own shot. That's exactly what the now-departed Jose Calderon did last season.
Earlier in his career, Harris relied a lot more on his quickness and ability to get to the free-throw line. Now, in his second stint with Dallas, his transformation into a consistent shooter has been huge. It allows Carlisle to utilize him as a bridge in the backcourt, as he is capable of playing next to every other guard.
Rondo and Ellis are not great three-point shooters, and Carlisle has opted to separate the two in various lineups. They still start and close out games together, but Harris provides the much-needed shooting when one of them rests.
When Rondo and Ellis run pick-and-rolls, they often look for guys spotting up in the corners. Chandler Parsons and Harris have both been great in those spots. Parsons can either shoot or pump-fake and drive. Harris has been supremely accurate shooting the ball on kick-out passes, connecting on 62 percent of his corner threes this season.
Defensively, Harris has been the best guard on the Mavs' roster this year. His lateral movement is terrific, and he is a pesky on-ball defender.
Take a look at how easily he prevented Sacramento Kings' Darren Collison from driving to the basket:
Granted, Sacramento's Derrick Williams doesn't set the hardest screens in the league, but Harris still fights over the initial pick very well. He momentarily gets stuck on the re-screen, but quickly recovers and forces Collison to give the ball up.
Harris is rarely lazy on defense. In that particular 108-104 victory over Sacramento on Jan. 13, Rondo was torched early on by Collison. He was reaching for steals on drives instead of putting in the effort to actually move his feet. Harris had no trouble limiting the Kings' point guard when he drew the assignment later on in the game.
It's hard to quantify just how much Harris means to the Mavs. His numbers suggest he is filling his role to perfection, but he doesn't get quite enough playing time to contend for a Sixth Man of the Year title.
He might not be rewarded with any accolades, but Harris has truly solidified a bench that has otherwise been in-flux all season long. Carlisle made constant adjustments even before the Rondo trade, as he tried to figure out a roster full of new faces. Finding appropriate balance is never easy, but having a cog like Harris to rely on has eased the growing pains.
The biggest concern for Dallas going into the season was how the team would replace Calderon's shooting touch and Vince Carter's production off the bench. Harris has answered the call on both of those grounds, at least to a certain extent.
You can follow me on Twitter: @VytisLasaitis
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