Gary Harris logged 34 minutes and 32 seconds against the Boston Celtics in the Milwaukee Bucks' latest win. That was the most a single player earned under Doc Rivers in this contest. Harris has not had a clearly defined role under Rivers this season, but this uptick in minutes suggests the veteran guard may have earned his head coach's trust.
Doc Rivers may start leaning on Gary Harris more
In a game where Kyle Kuzma scored 31 points, his most in a Bucks jersey, Bobby Portis poured in 27 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, and Kevin Porter Jr. posted a triple-double, it's shocking that Harris logged the most minutes. It's not like he stuffed the stat sheet. His fingerprints weren't all over this game. Yet, it's clear that Rivers thinks he deserves a big role for this team.
The appeal with Harris is clear. He won't put up big numbers, but he can do a lot of the little things to make a subtle impact. Against the Celtics, he finished with zero points, shooting 0-of-3, but he tallied two rebounds, two assists, and a blocked shot. All of those were crucial in helping the Bucks get out of this recent skid.
Harris' assists were simple but savvy. Smartly, he tossed the ball to a running Kyle Kuzma, who got an and-one opportunity off a finish through contact to log his first assists. For his second, he passed up what would have been a contested 3-point look to find an open Ryan Rollins, who had plenty of time to set his feet and sink a triple of his own.
For the rebounds, Harris stayed diligent after shot attempts, tracking down boards to make sure the Celtics wouldn't get any extra opportunities, something that has plagued Milwaukee often this year. As for the block, Harris tied up a driving Jaylen Brown, forcing a jump ball rather than allowing the wing to get an easy bucket in the fourth.
In addition to the statistics, Harris played solid defense all night. As one of the older players on the Bucks roster, Harris has been around the block. He's smart and experienced. He's using those tools to be an impact defender for Milwaukee, even when he's taking on big-name matchups. On a team always looking for perimeter defenders, that's been useful.
Rhythm also made it justifiable for Rivers to roll with Harris. The guard finished the game with a +26 plus-minus, by far the highest on the team. When Harris played, the Milwaukee Bucks were rolling, and Rivers clearly understood that. He might not log the most minutes on the team every night, but it is clear that Rivers likes what he sees in Harris.
Now, if he can get his shots to drop more, this move will really pay off.
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