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Joe Harris’ season goal wasn’t about All Star Weekend. Winning the three-point shootout was very, very nice (and Harris has been amazed by questions about whether he really wanted to win.)
No, Joe Harris wants to lead the NBA in three point shooting ... for the season. As Brian Lewis reports Friday, this is what the Nets shooting guard wants. It’s his “shtick.”
“It would mean a lot, just because that’s sort of my shtick,” Harris told The Post. “That’s what I do. In baseball if you’re the batting champion, it’s essentially like that. This is why I’m in the NBA, because of my ability to shoot the ball. It’s not like I’m wowing people with my athleticism or my ball-handling ability, this and that. I take a lot of pride in it, obviously.”
So far, so good.
He’s shooting a career-high 47.1 percent from deep... five points higher than last season. He’s currently ahead of Davis Bertans who’s shooting 46.5 percent and he’s on pace to break Drazen Petrovic’s Nets record (44.9 percent.)
And if he does achieve that goal, will he celebrate. Not based on what he did in Charlotte where as Zach Lowe noted, he beat both Curry brothers in front of the family Curry in the Currys’ hometown.
“That was shocking to me. I can’t believe he didn’t fist-pump or anything,” Kenny Atkinson told Lewis. “Was he in shock? But maybe it’s his laser focus. He’s a locked-in dude right now. He’s emotional. Some guys are robots out there. He’s not a robot. He’s an emotional guy. But you picture humility in the dictionary, it’s him. He’s just a humble. No airs come off. He probably checks himself.
“It’ll mean a lot. [But] especially now, his focus is on us getting to the playoffs...”
Of course, pursuit of the record and pursuit of the playoffs are not mutually exclusive. Getting to one is very much dependent on maintaining the pace in the other.
Want proof? Lewis supplies it. The Nets are 30-16 when Harris scores in double figures. They’re just 4-12 when he doesn’t, and winless in the five games he’s missed.
“[I’m] really surprised,” Harris said when told of his impact. Excited? That’s a whole other thing.
- ‘That’s sort of my shtick’: The personal honor Joe Harris wants - Brian Lewis - New York Post