Among those who’ve needed to take on more responsibility for Brooklyn while so many Nets have battled injuries is Joe Harris. Without both Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert, Harris, along with Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince, was expected to score more.
Of course, Harris is expected to provide most of his scoring from beyond the arc. But, the Nets sharpshooter usually doesn’t hoist up an overwhelming number of shots. Harris is an efficient, secondary piece. His presence along the perimeter is almost as important as his ability to knock one down from long-range at any given moment.
However, Harris hasn’t been able to drill 3-pointers at the same rate as usual. Yes, he’s shooting 40.3% from deep on the season, which is more than reliable. But when you look a little closer, a trend becomes clear.
In the first 10 games of the season, Harris shot a whopping 49.1% from deep.
From games 11-20, Harris shot 40.3% from three.
The drop over the next 10 games was far less significant (40.0%) — but he still didn’t move in the other direction.
Over the last nine games (No. 40 is Wednesday), Harris is shooting 33.3% from 3-point territory.
Having Irving and LeVert back should help Harris, but Atkinson may need to consider resting his best 3-point threat for a night or two.
Remember, Harris went from playing games for Team USA in Australia and China over the summer to training camp back in America to then go back to China, only to take on a greater role for a 26-game stretch out of necessity. At some point, that all catches up with a player. Given his 3-point percentage has slowly dropped from one 10-game stretch to the next, it seems evident Harris is battling fatigue — and losing the fight.