Jared Harper Working Hard to Earn His Keep
Hard work is nothing new to Jared Harper. From being an undrafted player in 2019 to being on 3 NBA teams in as many years, the soon-to-be 3rd-year guard from Auburn is constantly trying to prove his worth.
His summer league debut Saturday night proved Harper can contribute positively to an NBA team. Harper was one of the few positives in an utterly uninspiring performance from the Pelicans against the Portland Trailblazers.
Harper was thrust into more minutes than he probably normally would due to Dyson Daniels' ankle injury in the 2nd quarter. Harper played 29 minutes off the bench and recorded 18 points and five rebounds. He was one of only 3 Pelicans players to hit a 3 in the game and was the only player besides Trey Murphy III who scored in double-figures.
Harper displayed a nice knack for dribble penetration to get in the lane and finish. He finished the game with nine free throw attempts which are outstanding for a guard his size.
His scoring ability is something he's displayed time and again in his G-League career. He finished this past season near the top of the league in scoring, averaging over 21 points a game and dishing out more than seven assists per contest. That was good enough to earn Harper G-League 3rd Team honors, a year removed from making the first-team honors in 2021.
Harper then signed a 2-way contract with the Pelicans in March before being called up towards the end of the season. He played in the final three contests of the year and averaged 10 points and 5.5 assists. Because of the rules designated for a 2-way player, he was ineligible for postseason play with the Pelicans.
Harper will no doubt continue to get more playing time in Summer League not only because of Daniels' injury but also because of his production. It would not surprise me if Harper were to get the starting nod in Monday's contest versus the Atlanta Hawks. If so, it will be yet another opportunity for Harper to prove his worth as a viable NBA player.
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