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Growing Pains

Authored by Jeff Stotts - December 22, 2005 - 2:10 am

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The maturing process in the NBA is impossible to explain. A select few explode in their rookie seasons and have an immediately impact on their teams. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul all come to mind. Others take time to develop and the learning curve for these players is impossible to determine. It took Jermaine O’Neal five years to make his presence known and everyone is still waiting for Darko Milicic to live up to the hype. Fortunately for the Dallas Mavericks the development of point guard Devin Harris is quickly progressing.

Brought to Dallas in a draft day trade with the Wizards, Devin Harris was dubbed the point guard of the future set to spend his first few years under the tutelage of Steve Nash. Yet Nash left for the Phoenix desert and suddenly the Wisconsin product found himself the starting point guard for a perennial playoff team. After a month of inconsistency DH found himself in Coach Don Nelson’s doghouse and there he remained for the rest of the year. Even when Avery Johnson took control of the team Harris saw limited playing time and was continually hounded by Johnson. The playoffs came and went and Harris was limited to only eighty total minutes. The player many thought to be the most complete point guard in the 2004 draft saw his rookie year come to an end with little fanfare.

Harris remained a question mark to start the 2005-2006 season after a shoulder injury forced him out of summer league play. DH began the season slated as the backup to Jason Terry and still carrying the nickname “Rook”. Blessed with lightning quick speed Harris limited himself his rookie season by shooting numerous jumpers and 3-pointers. When he did choose to utilize his speed it often was at impromptu times and led to frequent turnovers and bad decisions. However DH showed early on this season that he has matured and developed his game. It began the third game of the season in a match up with the Spurs. Entrenched in a tight battle, Harris took over in the fourth quarter and scored 20 of his 22 points leading the Mavericks to an impressive victory. Since then he is directing the team better and using his speed when it is properly needed. He has continually penetrated to the basket and as a result is attempting more free throws. The 3-pointer has not left his arsenal but he relies on it less and less. Already this season Harris has set or tied his career highs in points, rebounds, and assists. His quick evolution has led to an increase in playing time and Harris is often on the court in clutch situations.

The maturity of Harris can be linked to Coach Avery Johnson. Johnson is harder on Harris more than any other player and keeps the point guard on a short leash, similar to the way Coach Gregg Popovich once did with Johnson. The roles are now reversed for the Little General and he knows he can get the most out of Harris by being sharp and overly critical just like Pop did with him and is currently doing with Tony Parker. A mutual respect has developed between player and coach and DH is more open to listening to the advice provided by Johnson. By doing so Harris knows his game will improve and his playing time will increase allowing him to showcase his skills.

The Mavericks have started the season an impressive 18-7 and appear better suited for the long haul as a strong core of young players develops. At the helm of the maturity is Devin Harris and the future looks bright for both point guard and team.