Gary Harris is coming off one of his least-productive seasons to date, but the Milwaukee Bucks went ahead and signed him regardless. If Harris finds his way into the rotation whatsoever, the key to him turning back the clock will be playing him alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, who can help the once-reliable long-range shooter regain his footing.
As many others have, Harris can thrive next to Giannis
Players typically have their best shooting seasons next to Giannis, and it's easy to see why. The star forward commands so much attention defensively whenever he is on the floor that one or two Bucks are open all the time. When players are constantly wide open, they obviously get better looks and typically see more success.
Ask Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, Bryn Forbes, Grayson Allen, Malik Beasley, Gary Trent Jr., AJ Green, and many, many more.
Now, Gary Harris will try to be the next in line. Through his NBA career, Harris has been a respectable outside shooter, hitting 36.9 percent of his tries on four attempts per game. While he's played with a few other stars, such as Nikola Jokic and Paolo Banchero, Harris has never been teammates with the most dominant paint force in the NBA, and he will soon learn the benefits of doing so.
Even in a down year, Harris was still reliable when "wide open." Per NBA.com/stats, he went 22-of-49 (44.9 percent) from deep when given six or more feet of space to fire. His "open" shooting, which is categorized as four to six feet of space, was subpar, going just 11-of-45 (24.4), which bogged down the percentage overall. If he can sink both with regularity, he could certainly have a bounce back year.
To be clear, Harris isn't coming to Milwaukee to play a vital role (at least not to start). He's likely going to serve as two guard depth behind AJ Green and Gary Trent Jr. However, anything can happen in an NBA season, so the veteran guard, one of the oldest players on this young roster, must stay ready at every turn. They may need the guard sooner or later.
After his poor showing last season, Harris needs to bounce back next season as he plays for what could be his future in the NBA. Luckily for him, he's in a good spot, he's in a position 3-point shooters dream of being in. Playing Harris alongside the Greek Freak could be just what he needs to get back on his feet and return to form.
If the guard can sink his open triples and play respectable defense, this could be a hidden gem find.
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