Devin Harris- nice pic

[reeds]

Most on this site are more of an expert than me on your Dallas Mavericks- but NONE has watched Devin as much as I have. I think I have seen every game he has played in college..With that being said- if he remains a Mav- you guys got a great player.

He is very long for a point guard, he plays DEFENSE- which is a plus, and he is a great shooter...maybe not a Nash type shooter yet, but he will get even better..and he is very clutch, he wants the ball with the game on the line. I think the Mavs will be very happy with this pick. I am excited for Devin.. He could stand to put on 10lbs of muscle, but I think that is very possible in a short amount of time....

[bran987]

why does it say washington picked him?????

I missed the first few minutes

[mavsman55]

That's cool... I haven't had the chance to watch him play much... I'm more into the NBA than NCAA.

Reeds, since you've had the opportunity to watch him play a lot, do you think he'll be able to fill in for Steve Nash as an unselfish PG? Cause the last thing we need with Shaq here is a shoot-first think-second kind of point guard.

[dirno2000]

I haven't seen him, but the scouting reports that I'm reading say that he's a shoot 1st pg...that's the worst type.

[ocelot_ark]

I just loved what I saw on the interview. Seems like a really bright, articulate kid.

[u2sarajevo]

Originally posted by: bran987
why does it say washington picked him?????

I missed the first few minutes

Washington still owns the pick because they traded their 1st round pick last year and NBA rules state you can't trade consecutive 1st round picks. So basically that meant that we told them who to pick and the trade can be finalized now that it is done.

edit: to say that I was going to say welcome to the board, but it looks like you've been here awhile.... without posting...

[ames7]

from Yahoo:

POSITIVES: Harris is best described as "an electrifying blur." He plays at a lightning pace, and his hops are out of this world. He is not just an athlete, however. He is a good shooter in both off-the-dribble and stand-still situations and has good touch and poise finishing around the hoop.

SHORTCOMINGS: He's thin, he's streaky, he isn't a true point guard - the knocks on Harris are just as abundant as the admirations. Evidently, he will have to learn to become a pass-first, shoot-second type of player in the NBA, because his smallish frame could never match up with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady or Ray Allen at the 2-guard. Even if Harris adapts his mentality, he probably will never break out of the "scoring point guard" mold.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: "Devin Harris has had a meteoric rise (in terms of his stock over the last year). He's a great kid, he's a hard worker and he's a point guard, and those are things that are highly valued in our league. - Denver Nuggets assistant general manager Jeff Weltman

[Simon2]

I don't understand. This doesn't look like someone the Lakers are looking to have. If he isn't a true pg, why would the Lakers want him? Maybe its in a package for Dampier?

[reeds]

"Reeds, since you've had the opportunity to watch him play a lot, do you think he'll be able to fill in for Steve Nash as an unselfish PG? Cause the last thing we need with Shaq here is a shoot-first think-second kind of point guard"

He can be very UNSELFISH..i dont think its fair to call him a "shoot first" PG..that tag was basically given to him because of his supporting cast..Wisconsin didnt have many other options when they need a hoop- Devin could fill it- so he did more times than not..but he is so quick and has great court vision..he could turn into a nice assist guy if/when he is asked to do so...

[EricaLubarsky]

Here is a real nice pic. Pictures of the nice, new pick.

[sike]

well....he can get up...there is no doubt about that.

[ocelot_ark]

Dude looks like a baby. :-)

[EricaLubarsky]

he looks like Finley's younger brother.



Maybe its just the ears.

[ocelot_ark]

yep...we all have them :-)

[dirk2003]

Reeds - How similar is Harris to Dwayne Wade?

[mavs413]

Here are Wade's and Harris' pre-draft scouting reports from the Same Scout from NbaDraft.net

<u>Dwayne Wade</u> -

Strengths: Possesses one of the most explosive first steps in all of college basketball ... Extremely athletic player who has superb leaping ability and dominating quickness ... Once Wade goes into the lane he has the ability to drive and dish if the defense collapses ... Plays very poised and mature for his age. Seems to maintain the same facial expression regardless if his team is up or down by 30 points ... Has an NBA ready body which usually allows him to finish after contact occurs ... Plays solid perimeter defense and understands how to cut-off the passing lanes ... Thanks to his athleticism he is an excellent rebounder ... Has a great understanding of shot selection and rarely forces up bad shots ... Understands how to shield off his defender when driving to the basket ... Creative player who has the body control and excellent relation to the basket skills to convert difficult shots off the glass ... Has become more of a leader this year ... Draws a good amount of fouls due to his aggressive, penetrating style of play ...

Weakness: Wade is dangerously close to being a combo guard. Too small to be a shooting guard not enough point guard skills to run a team offense ... While he shows range on his shot, his mid-range shooting remains streaky ... Must improve on moving without the ball he often needs the ball in his hands to create offense ... Wade's ball handling could stand to be improved if he is to play some point guard in the NBA ... Size. Many undersized guards have a hard time transitioning to the NBA game. Wade has the benefit of long arms which allow him to play big for his size ... Not much of a 3-point shooter although he does have the ability to make 3's. He often doesn't get his body fully squared to the basket ...

<u>Devin Harris</u> -

Strengths: Athletic guard who has excellent quickness and leaping ability … Owns great size for an NBA point guard … Possesses an explosive first step capable of taking opposing defenders off the dribble … Shows three point range on his jumper … When driving in the lane he does a great job of drawing contact … Has excellent body control … His long arms and leaping ability enable him to make an impact on the glass … Court vision is above average and ever improving by the year … Ball handling ability is top notch as he displays an assortment of crossovers and spins to gain separation from his man … Athleticism allows him to be a great finisher on the fast break … Has all the physical attributes needed to excel defensively with his super lateral quickness, long arms and swift hands … Moves well without the ball … Exhibits good leadership skills and the decision making ability desired in a point guard … An explosive scorer who can take over a game … Solid passer with an unselfish mentality … Post up skills enable him to take advantage of undersized mismatches … Plays the passing lanes extremely well for steals … Harris has shown great work ethic over the years …

Weaknesses: While Harris has shown great improvement in his point guard skills he is still a work in progress … Doesn’t have a great deal of experience when it comes to running the point guard position as this was his first year full time … He must continue to develop his point guard skills such as controlling the tempo … Shooting from the perimeter still goes through periods of inconsistency … Defensively he needs to improve on his intensity and understand when to put pressure on the ball handler and when not to gamble … Should continue to add more upper body strength and weight to his body … Can get a little too carried away with shooting behind the 3-point line … Must improve upon running an offense in a half court set …

These reports are close to identical.

[reeds]

"Reeds - How similar is Harris to Dwayne Wade?"

I think the biggest difference is strength..Wade is stronger- more of a "mans body" I guess you could say.. They both can get up and are real quick...Id give the edge to Wade, but not by a whole heck of a lot... I dont think you can go wrong with either...

[kg_veteran]

I wasn't online last night for more than a couple of minutes, so I'm sure someone has posted it somewhere, but George Karl and Jay Bilas were really high on this kid last month. Compared him to Kevin Johnson and said he was going to be a tremendous player, etc. This was a guy I REALLY wanted the Mavs to get, so needless to say I'm pumped. He solves one of the three major needs the Mavs had: a young, athletic PG to develop behind Nash as his eventual replacement. This kid is ultra-quick, athletic, can really defend, and I think will be a great backup PG for us NEXT YEAR.

[reeds]

KG- the thing is, Nash may not be around next year. Harris may have to learn on the fly...It will be tough for a rookie to do, but I think down the road, Devin will pay off nicely...