I cannot think of a better time than right now for Gary Harris to find his old form from seasons past. His injury-related decline has not received much attention since the Nuggets are so good anyway, but he’s nowhere near the player he was even last season. To illustrate: this is his first 20-burger since NOVEMBER.
As the creator and maintainer of the #hypedforgaryharris hashtag, I’m said to say it, but I’m not all that hyped for Gary Harris anymore. I am still a little bit hyped, but most of has been replaced by hype for Monte Morris and Malik Beasley. It was a lot easier to be excited for Harris when he was unexpectedly one of the most efficient players in the league, and easier still when he was one of the most efficient players in the league and no one had realized yet so I could get to feel superior to everyone else for being appropriately hyped.
The Harris bandwagon has cleared out now, with only a few diehards remaining. But, as we see here, there is still hope. The first step to scoring 30 points is scoring 20 points, I always say, and he took that first step in this game. The Nuggets may have lost the game, but the gained something more important than a meaningless postseason win: the knowledge that Harris can still play good offensive basketball.