Josh Roloson of Amico Sports covered Joe Harris when he played with the Cavaliers and their D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge. He admits he didn’t see much in the 6’6” shooting guard, writing...
When the Cavaliers drafted Joe Harris they knew he was a pure shooter who couldn’t move his feet enough to play consistent defense or create his own shot.
But when he was comfortable, he could shoot. Unfortunately, an injury and his Sasha Pavolic-type defense meant Harris wouldn’t stick with the Cavs...
But after watching Harris score a career high 19 points including five three pointers for the Nets this weekend, Roloson has changed his mind a bit.
Saturday in Phoenix, it looked like Harris was comfortable for the first time in his NBA career.
That might have been a small exaggeration. Harris has had several good games, even big games, coming off the bench this season. But Roloson’s larger point bears some truth.
Maybe it’s the lack of expectations that comes with playing for the Nets, or maybe his confidence is making him feel like he belongs in the NBA. I’m not a sports psychologist though, so let me tell you what I witnessed: Harris shot with the confidence of Steph Curry and nearly had the same results.
Confidence, Roloson thinks, is the key ingredient in Harris’ turnaround.
If you’ve ever struggled at something, you know that confidence is the key to getting better. The problem is that when you’re struggling, it’s hard to feel good about yourself and have the confidence needed to improve. The NBA is no different than our 9-to-5’s and confidence is key to hitting shots and making a contribution.
Confidence is certainly something the Nets try to instill as a core value, unlike last season when Mikhail Prokhorov himself had to intervene to stop Lionel Hollins from publicly criticizing his players.
As Kenny Atkinson said before the Suns game.
"We're giving guys the freedom, especially where we are in the development process, I think it gives them confidence to, you know, try new stuff. That's how you get better."
Seems to be working for Harris.