Nuggets Final Report Card: Gary Harris' season was defined by his biggest flaw

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The Nuggets got the full Gary Harris experience this season.

When healthy, Harris once again reminded the rest of the NBA that he’s one of the most underrated players in the league, averaging 17 points over Denver’s first 22 games of the regular season. Then, a right hip injury shut Harris down for the next month. He was back in the Nuggets’ lineup in January but soon missed another handful of games due to balky hamstring.

An adductor strain put Harris on the shelf for a few weeks in February and he returned to the rotation later in the month. He finished the season strong by hitting double-digit point totals in four of Denver’s last five games of the regular season, again flashing the consistency that’s been a staple of the two-guard since he ascended to the Nuggets’ starting shooting guard post three seasons ago.

In the playoffs, Harris shifted the momentum of Denver’s first-round series against San Antonio when he switched onto Derrick White after the Nuggets’ Game 3 loss and frustrated the Spurs’ point guard for the rest of the series. Versus Portland, Harris’ defense on Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum nearly helped guide Denver to a conference finals matchup with Golden State. Harris also scored in double-figures in all seven games.

When he was healthy, Harris was stellar for Denver and a stout two-way player, arguably the Nuggets’ second-most valuable one and their most-trusted perimeter defender. When he was hurt, his absence left a big hole on the perimeter. But such has largely been the story with Harris over his five-year career. This season, he appeared in 57 games, the same number that he played during another injury-plagued season in 2017. With him in the lineup, the Nuggets went 38-19. Without the two-guard, Denver was able to survive, posting a 16-9 record.

Harris’ regular-season scoring averages weren’t overly impressive and symbolized his up-and-down year that was marred by injuries. He averaged 12.9 points on 42.4 percent shooting from the field and 33.9 percent from three, the lowest he’s hit in all three statistical categories since his rookie season. In the playoffs, his 14.2 point, 4.1 rebound and 2.3 assist stat line was representative of the numbers Harris is capable of posting when fully healthy. Denver was locked in defensively when Harris played in the playoffs, sporting a 108.2 Defensive Rating with him on the court, which rose to 113.4 when he sat.

But over the last few years and especially in 2019, Harris ability and at times his inability to stay healthy has defined his season.

Still, the 57 games (48 starts) that Harris appeared in offered a silver lining. Malik Beasley took advantage of an increase in playing time, turned in a breakout season and established himself as a knockdown 3-point shooter who can step into Denver’s starting lineup. In 18 games as a starter, Beasley averaged 16 points on 55% shooting from the field and also hit 50% of his 3s.

Make no mistake, he’s not taking over the starting shooting guard spot anytime soon, as long as Harris remains in Denver. Harris is an All-NBA level defender when he’s healthy and locked in on that end of the floor, as was the case in the playoffs. Beasley is not. Harris’ offensive chemistry with Nikola Jokic is unmatched and the Michigan State product has grown volumes in his ability as an isolation scorer. Beasley was still largely a 3-and-D wing last season. He could develop a more potent off-the-dribble game next season but last year he wasn’t attacking the rim with the same ferocity and reliability as Harris either.

Harris has shown when healthy that he’s one of the Nuggets’ most valuable players. If he can log 70-plus games next year, Denver could find itself at the top of the Western Conference once the regular season concludes in mid-April.