Inside the NBA

Snappy Comeback  

Miscast in Philly, Matt Harpring is flourishing in his new role in Utah

By Ian Thomsen

Matt Harpring is flattered to be the leading candidate for the NBA's Most Improved Player Award, but the Jazz small forward takes some issue with the designation. Harpring doesn't think he's any better than he was last year -- he just thinks he's found a more suitable fit for his talent after a frustrating 2001-02 season with coach Larry Brown in Philadelphia. "I always knew I could play," says Harpring. "But you've got to have a coach who has confidence in you."

Harpring, who excels at cuts to the hoop, has thrived in Utah's pass-happy offense. Scott Cunningham/NBAE/Getty Images

At week's end the 6'7", 230-pound Harpring was averaging 18.4 points per game and 50.7% shooting, both career highs, while helping the Jazz to a 31-21 record, sixth best in the West. His emergence is all the more impressive considering that in previous stints with Orlando, Cleveland and Philadelphia he had a reputation as a high-energy defender and rebounder but just a so-so scorer. It makes Harpring wonder how much talent is squandered because players are forced to accept diminished roles. "There are 29 NBA teams and maybe two scorers on each," Harpring says. "The rest of the guys in the league had better be good role players, because otherwise they're not going to step on the court."

Harpring was confused about his role last year in Philly, where he says he was told to idle on the perimeter and keep the lane free for Allen Iverson. "You have a coach telling you at halftime, 'You're not a shooter, I told you to defend and rebound,'" he says. "It makes it hard to hit an open shot."

Now Harpring, a nonstop runner who loves cutting to the basket, has found his niche in Utah, where veterans John Stockton (No. 1 alltime in assists), Mark Jackson (soon to overtake Magic Johnson as No. 2) and Karl Malone reward him with passes. "You'd think this would be a good situation for him, the way he moves without the ball and the way they like to set picks, but you can never know for sure until you see how all the talents fit together," says Houston coach Rudy Tomjanovich, who watched Harpring hit a game-tying three-pointer with 0.1 of a second remaining to force overtime in Utah's 103-101 win over the Rockets last week. "It's the beautiful thing about this game that you can't predict."

Harpring isn't worrying too much about how his role might change if Stockton, Jackson and Malone retire or move elsewhere as free agents this summer. For now he's just enjoying his breakthrough season. "Shooters become good shooters when they're allowed to get into the rhythm of the game," Harpring says. "It's hard to be a good shooter when you touch the ball once and then you don't touch it again for seven minutes."

Issue date: February 24, 2003

For more Inside the NBA see this week's issue of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands Wednesday, February 19. Click here to subscribe to SI.

 

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