If there’s one thing a defensive-minded coach can appreciate, it’s a defensive-minded player.
It’s one reason Nuggets coach Michael Malone and shooting guard Gary Harris have gotten off to such a good start together.
“I loved him coming out of Michigan State,” Malone said. “He’s a guy that is a very efficient two-way player. I love his defense.”
Harris, meanwhile, is looking forward to the summer league and his second season in the NBA. Harris knows he needs to make an on-court statement that he has what it takes to eventually be the answer at shooting guard.
“It’s huge,” Harris said. “Just getting familiar with the new coaching staff, the new system we’re about to run and trying to make a good impression going into the regular season.”
Harris readily admits his rookie season didn’t go as planned. He played in 55 games, but just barely, and certainly not enough to get into a consistent rhythm. Harris averaged 13.1 very disjointed minutes per game and never could fully find the range on his jump shot, with averages of 30.4 percent from the floor and 20.4 percent from the 3-point line.
“I kind of expected my season to go a little bit differently, just coming in,” Harris said, later adding, “I’ve never had to deal with anything like that through my years of playing basketball. But it helped me grow. I just waited my turn, so now it’s time for me to start showing some of the things that I learned.”
Malone said he understands Harris’ plight.
“I got a chance to spend a couple of days with him when I first got the job,” Malone said. “My message to Gary is whatever happened last year, I know it was a tough rookie year for you. You never really got a chance to get into a rhythm as a player.
“This year, this summer I want him to go out there and just relax and play and be confident. If you make a mistake or miss a shot, don’t let it get you down, just keep on playing hard and keep on giving me effort on the defensive end, which I know he will. So, I’m looking forward to a much better second season for Gary Harris.”
Part of Harris’ improvement, he said, will come from the experience of going through everything one time through.
“Last year was a long season for me, just going from college to the predraft process and then going straight into the 82-game season,” Harris said. “That was new to me, so I was kind of dead at the end of the season. But after getting some time off I’m refreshed and ready to go.”
Harris is noticeably stronger, and while he won’t say how much weight he has put on, he said he’s “just finding the weight I’m most comfortable at and putting on the right type of muscle.”
That added muscle has aided him getting through some grueling practices under Malone and the new coaching staff.
“They’ve been tough,” Harris said. “They’ve been working us. But they’ve been productive. I feel like we’re all out here to get better.”
Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey@denverpost.com or
