Nets Get Key Update on Sharpshooter Joe Harris

Kyrie Irving and Joe Harris


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Kyrie Irving #11 and Joe Harris #12 of the Brooklyn Nets celebrate against the Washington Wizards during their game at Barclays Center

Sharpshooter Joe Harris is one of the Brooklyn Nets‘ biggest investments. He is in the third year of a 4-year, $75 million contract he signed with the franchise in 2020. But despite being one of the most lucrative contracts on Brooklyn’s roster, Harris has been out for nearly a third of the Nets’ 10-game winning streak as he has not played since their matchup with the Golden State Warriors on December 21, as he continues to nurse a knee injury.

On December 28, NBA insider Brian Lewis of the New York Post gave a key update on when the Nets sharpshooter could return to the starting lineup.

“Joe Harris is still back in Brooklyn. It’s unclear if he’ll fly to join the #Nets for a practice Friday in Atlanta, join them in Charlotte to play the #Hornets on New Year’s Eve, or miss the whole rest of the trip,” Lewis tweeted.

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Nets Continue Winning Without Key Contributions

The Nets narrowly escaped with a 108-107 victory on the road against the Atlanta Hawks on December 28 as they pushed their winning streak to 10 games. They now have a record of 14-1 in their last 15 games. And with the Milwaukee Bucks’ overtime loss to the Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn has moved into second place in the Eastern Conference after being as low as the 13th seed earlier this season.

Even more impressive is that they have done so with Harris, one of their key starters, missing the last three games. But even when Harris was available, the Nets did not receive the contributions they expected from their sharpshooter. He is shooting just 9-19 from beyond the arc in his last six games.

The same can be said for their other sharpshooter, Seth Curry, who is shooting 8-22 from long range in his last five games after having a hot start to the season.

With the February NBA trade deadline approaching and the emergence of role players in Yuta Watanabe and Royce O’Neale during this current win streak, general manager Sean Marks could elect to go in another direction and move one or both of the sharpshooters in the coming weeks.


Nicolas Claxton Continues His Strong Campaign

A pleasant surprise for the Nets this season has been the emergence of their starting center Nicolas Claxton. During his first three years in the NBA, it was clear that Claxton had all the tools and raw talent to one day be an elite starting center in the NBA.

But as a team trying to capitalize on a championship window immediately, there was doubt that Claxton could put it all together in the time frame that Brooklyn needed him to.

This season, the Nets big man has taken the leap the Nets were hopeful he would, as he is averaging career highs in nearly every statistical category. Not only is he making a strong case to be the NBA’s most improved player with his league-leading 74.3% from the field, but he is also campaigning for the Defensive Player of the Year award. He is second in the league in blocks per game (2.4), trailing only Bucks big man Brook Lopez.

The Nets, now just two games out of the top spot in the East, can close the gap in their next game against the Charlotte Hornets.

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