2023 Orlando Magic Player Evaluations: Gary Harris among the NBA’s best shooters

Gary Harris had a successful campaign for the Orlando Magic this season as the starting unit’s offensive safety valve at shooting guard. He regained his value as a reliable three-point shooter and above-average wing defender through 48 games this season.

Orlando would have liked to keep Harris healthier as he barely played more than half of the regular season, but his presence was felt by a roster lacking threats from behind the arc.

He had a tough start to his newly signed two-year, $26-million contract when he tore his meniscus in the summer leading up to the season. But his time on the court was valuable. And he previewed what he could provide the team and how vital he can be to the team.

Harris unfortunately was unable to build momentum heading into the fall as he missed out on training camp and preseason to repair his meniscus.

Gary Harris proved his skill and his shooting prowess would be vital for a young Orlando Magic team. He proved himself among the league’s best, there just was not enough of him.

While he was rehabbing, the team had their atrocious 5-20 start to the season. That has been the constant story for his career.

He was one of many that were not playing at the beginning of the year, but the stability of his return was a factor in their impressive finish. His skill set is exactly what this team needs and why the front office resigned him. He can shoot. And he shot the ball really well this year.

Harris finished the season playing in 48 games averaging 8.3 points per game. He made 43.1 percent of his 3-point shots on 4.5 attempts per game. Those numbers stood out. So too does his defense even if it does not make a great overall impact.

Harris slotted in perfectly as a veteran spacer for the team.

The team has a plethora of young guards in Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs and Caleb Houstan who need playing time to develop into high-caliber players. But Harris was able to prove he is deserving of a significant role on the team.

The Magic and coach Jamahl Mosley still intend on developing their guards to reach their potential, but the team understood that Harris’ skillset would be the best guard pairing for Markelle Fultz in the starting unit.

Fultz’s inability to shoot restricts the offense. It is in the team’s best interest to have Fultz create for his teammates. Harris’ limited his ball-handling duties this season and gave Fultz the room to create.

This was exactly the running mate who Fultz needed as he became much more comfortable on offense this season in every aspect of his game. Harris stabilized his comfortability and is one of the primary factors for Fultz’s ascension this past year.

Harris has revitalized his career with the Magic and did so even further this season. He looks to build off of an impressive shooting campaign where he shot 43.1 percent from three. This is the best percentage of the 28-year-old veteran’s career, and he did so within a crowded offense.

Not only was this an improvement for Harris, but 43.1 percent was the sixth-best percentage in the NBA from distance.

The five shooters that were listed above him played an average of 64.6 games this year. One can only imagine how Harris would have shot if he did not find himself sidelined to start the season.

He also shot the second-fewest amount of attempts out of those top six shooters, so there might be another level Harris can elevate his shot given more opportunities. A player who is healthy most of the season with consistent shots each game helps a shooter build their rhythm.

Orlando has a lot of players with high ceilings that need offensive reps so additional shots will be difficult to find for Harris. But if his hot streak continues, it might be hard to ignore.

These shooting statistics can be a bit misleading when comparing this season to the rest of Harris’ career. He had his lowest usage rate since entering the league and is given much less scoring responsibility than he was earlier in his career in Denver.

Harris has adapted his game to accommodate the Magic’s core and understands he is not the focal point of the offense. Re-signing him last offseason confirmed he is willing to play this role and appreciates the task the team has asked of him.

Opposing defenses know he is the team’s shooter but he does a great job moving without the basketball to find space to get his shot off. He is always shot-ready and was lethal in both corners of the floor.

Harris shot a blistering 48.9 percent from the left corner and 43.8 percent from the right. The NBA averages 38.5 percent from those spots so you can see why Mosley emphasized which parts of the floor Harris should focus on.

He perfected the modern NBA system this season only shooting either behind the arc or in the paint. Harris attempted 307 shots this year and only shot 14 mid-range jump shots on the season. That is 4 percent of his total shots. He knows his assignment and plays within himself.

The role of the shooter is to play as efficiently as possible. Take and make good shots while not forcing offensive possessions. Harris did exactly that as he averaged 0.6 turnovers per game which is another career low.

Harris found his groove this season and he looks to be a 3-and-D player who can share the floor with anyone in the NBA. This is why trade rumors started to circle leading up to this season’s NBA trade deadline.

Every NBA team seems to have space for a player like Gary Harris, and the Orlando Magic realized he is much more valuable to the team than what they would receive in return if they traded him.

He averaged a mere 8.3 points per game this year, but he is playing efficient basketball. This is an offensive facilitator’s dream teammate. And that is why it still seems unlikely the Magic would decline the final year of Harris’ deal. That is unless the team has a big fish they want to hunt in free agency and need those $13 million free.

Harris should still slot in as a key shooter for a Magic team that desperately needs shooting.

Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are allotted more space when Gary Harris is on the floor and know they can trust him if the defense pinches down to takeaway drives to the basket.

The Orlando roster this year lacked complementary pieces to stabilize the offense for a young core that has been underwhelming when shooting the basketball. That is a concerning problem that the team will look to remedy in the near future.

This last season, Harris was one of two Magic players in the rotation to shoot better than the league average for three-point percentage. The other was Cole Anthony who shot 36.4 percent from behind the arc which is not far off from the league average of 36.1 percent.

He was essential for a team in the bottom five of the NBA in threes made and three-point percentage. Also, his veteran presence was a needed addition for the second-youngest team in the NBA.

He competed all season and finished sixth in minutes per game on the Magic. He was a steady hand for a team in desperate need of shooters. He rarely was out of control and stayed collected on both sides of the basketball.

Harris left more to be desired in terms of his ability to play a full season, but the 2023 season was positive for Harris.

He proved this season that he deserves a role in the NBA as an offensive threat who can guard his position. He was the only veteran on the team to finish the season which only bodes well for his future with the team next season.