On the surface, the Milwaukee Bucks signing Gary Harris to a two-year deal seems puzzling to some degree after the down year he just had. However, deep down is a player who, if he can excel with this change of scenery, could be the ultimate X-factor for a contending team due to his two-way play off the bench.
Gary Harris has everything the Bucks need (in theory)
For years, the Milwaukee Bucks have been hunting for guards who can switch defensively while also knocking down triples on the other end. Harris checks off both boxes. To show it, Harris has to stay healthy. During his four-and-a-half-year stay with the Orlando Magic, Harris appeared in just 231 regular season contests due to injuries, which has certainly hindered his overall productivity.
Through his career, Harris has always made waves defensively. The 6-foot-4 guard is a hard-nosed, versatile player who can flat-out hound opponents. Despite his down year, Harris held players to just 42.7 percent from deep, tied for the 24th-best mark in the entire league among players to defend at least 230 shots. Not bad for a banged-up guard.
Adding that type of defender into the mix could go a long way for the Milwaukee Bucks. They can throw Harris onto the other team's best guard and watch him go to work. He'll fit nicely in lineups alongside players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner, as his versatility will mesh well with what those two bring to the table as well.
Things get more complicated on the other side of the ball. He's coming off a lackluster season, where he averaged three points on 38.3 percent shooting. While those numbers are far from captivating, he did average 8.9 points while shooting 39.4 percent from deep in the prior three seasons. He's a sweet shooter by nature, and he could certainly get back into that groove in Milwaukee.
If Harris can stay healthy, play tough defense, and knock down his triples, he'll immediately be a key piece off Milwaukee's bench. This team has been hunting for players like him for years, and they've got one who could be a boom or bust reclamation project. At 30, Gary Harris still has plenty of good basketball left in him if he can simply stay healthy.
For a Milwaukee team that is undergoing a bit of a makeover, this is a low-risk, high-reward move.
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