Devin Harris had a great 2008-2009 campaign with the Nets which earned him a trip to the all-star game, but he hasn’t played at that level since.
Analysis: Devin has a chance to play for a winning team for the first time since he was shipped out of Dallas in the 2007-2008 season. I think he’ll make the most out of the opportunity and enjoy actually having a decent shot at winning on any given night. Devin now has some great teammates in Utah who will make it easier to pick up more assists. Harris’ first two games with Utah were nothing to write home about, but he produced reasonable enough stat lines. Since Devin left the structured environment of Dallas’s system his field goal percentage has gone down significantly. In his last year with Dallas he shot 48%, but in his next three years with New Jersey he never shot above 44%. With the Nets I believe, and the statistics prove my point, that Devin attempted to do too much. While still effective, he forced his shots more because his team relied heavily on him. Now that Devin is back on a good team with a well structured system and established roles he should become far more efficient. Devin Harris is only 28 and his decline shouldn’t start for another few seasons.
Projection: Devin will enjoy being competitive again, and will appreciate it more this time ’round after being stuck in New Jersey for 3 seasons. His field goal percentage should return closer to the 50% mark, and I believe he’s poised to make a gain in assists as well. Even before the switch Devin was averaging a career high 7.6 assists, and playing in Utah should only elevate this statistic more. It is a small sample size, but in two games with the Jazz, Devin is averaging a solid 8.5 assists.