Gary Harris was the odd man out of the Milwaukee Bucks' additions in the offseason. Yet, the veteran shooting guard has outlasted Gary Trent Jr. in the rotation, with Trent failing to register a minute in Monday's victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
Doc Rivers is still trying to solve rotation issues
Trent has struggled this season, and it has been a painful watch at times for Bucks fans who felt like they got a steal of a deal on Trent in the summer. Harris played 15 minutes on Monday, taking Trent's spot and being trusted more by Doc Rivers than most initially thought.
The key reason behind Trent being dropped is that his usual offensive punch has been missing. This season, he is averaging just 8.5 points per game, with only his rookie season seeing him average less. Milwaukee relies heavily on threes, and again, Trent is shooting only better than his rookie season at 35.8 percent from deep.
Harris isn't going to provide the offensive spark, but with the team really struggling on defense, he is a better option than Trent right now. Rivers has been changing lineup and rotation all season long, and Monday was no different. Kevin Porter Jr. found himself out of the starting lineup as the head coach looked to find some sort of winning formula.
The biggest surprise was Pete Nance playing 15 minutes, suggesting several players have fallen well out of favor with the two-way player impressing and earning himself further opportunities. It is a damning indictment of the roster, with many players no longer trusted and potentially on the move, as Jon Horst and the front office are clearly willing to make moves.
It was a vital victory for the Bucks over another team lacking confidence in the Hawks. A 23-point lead evaporated very quickly, and that has raised huge questions about the level of the roster. The Bucks have the Thunder and Nuggets coming up, so Rivers may think to change his game plan once again.
Harris has featured more often than many fans thought, and has certainly had an impact without lighting up the box score. His role on this team is clear: help the struggling wing defense and hit 3-pointers when asked. It isn't definite that he has pushed Trent out of the rotation, but with the play of both at the moment, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Rivers go with Harris more in the coming weeks.