INDIANAPOLIS — Nuggets rookie shooting guard Gary Harris will suit up for the first time this season Friday night, and for him there couldn’t be a better place to potentially make his debut.
Harris is a native of Indiana, from a town called Fishers, which is about 30 minutes northeast of Indianapolis. He’ll have a number of family and friends in the crowd at Banker’s Life Arena on Friday night when the Nuggets face the Indiana Pacers.
How many?
“I’m not even sure,” Harris said, smiling, after shootaround Friday morning. “My phone’s still blowing up right now.”
Harris’ opportunity comes because veteran Randy Foye will not play as he deals with a bone bruise in his right knee. Until now, Harris has been inactive for each of the Nuggets’ first seven games of the season.
Nuggets coach Brian Shaw is not promising to get Harris in the game, but he appreciates the magnitude of the situation for his rookie shooting guard.
“That’s something you think about, when guys go home,” Shaw said. “You want them to have a good feeling, and if possible get a chance to play in front of their families.”
Harris, chosen 19th overall in the 2014 NBA draft, knows he needs to be patient to get a chance to play. Playing time this season will be in short supply. Still, there is excitement to take the court as a professional in an arena in which he’s played before.
“It would be cool to be able to play my first NBA game in front of my hometown crowd,” Harris said. “Pretty good story. Couldn’t ask for much more. My mom and father and little brother will be in the crowd. So, pretty cool.”
Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey@denverpost.com or
