The Cleveland Cavaliers will be up against familiar faces Friday when they take on the Brooklyn Nets, both of whom have found a role with the ball club.
The Cleveland Cavaliers shocked the world in 2013 when they selected Anthony Bennett out of with the first pick in the NBA draft. Bennett averaged 16.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game during his one and only season at the University of Nevada, Los Vegas (UNLV).
Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, Bennett couldn’t translate his success at the collegiate level to the NBA. During his one season with the wine and gold, the UNLV product averaged a dismal 4.2 points and 3 rebounds per game while shooting 35 percent form the field and 25 percent from behind the arc.
One year after drafting Bennett, the Cavaliers selected Joe Harris with the 33rd pick in the 2014 NBA draft. Coming into the draft, Harris was praised for his ability to hit the three-ball at a consistent rate.
Right around the time they drafted Harris is when things within the Cavaliers organization really started to change. LeBron James had just announced his return to Cleveland, so David Griffin decided to trade Andrew Wiggins, whom they drafted with the first pick in the 2014 draft, and Bennett to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Kevin Love.
While in Minnesota, Bennett continued his inconsistent play, and only lasted one season in the North Star State. He then appeared in 19 games with the Toronto Raptors during the 2015-16 campign.
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On the other hand, Harris lasted two seasons with the Cavaliers. During this time, he appeared in 56 games (one start) and maintained an average of 2.5 points on 40 percent from the field. Harris was eventually traded to the Orlando Magic in order to save the Cavaliers nearly $3 million in luxury tax penalties. He went on to be waived by the Magic.
Despite not sticking around with the Cavaliers, both Bennett and Harris have found consistent roles with the Brooklyn Nets during the 2016-17 campaign.
After signing a two-year deal worth the veterans minimum during the offseason, Bennett has appeared in 20 games (one start) with the Nets this season, averaging 5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Although these numbers aren’t drastically different compared to his time in Cleveland, Bennett isn’t under constant watch and scrutiny with his current team, which is helping break his “draft bust” title.
Bennett, 23, is much more confident with the Nets, which has proven to pay off. “Honestly, it’s just my mental state,” Bennett said, via the NYPost. “The game part has pretty much been taken care of, but with me it’s being more confident, being more free, not being robotic out there. That’s the biggest thing. I feel it’s helped me a whole lot, them just letting me go out there and giving me a chance to play.”
Harris, who signed a two-year deal with the Nets, has also impressed with this season. Appearing in 27 games, Harris has averaged 9.9 points on an impressive 44 percent from the field and 38 percent from behind the arc.
Harris attributes some of his newfound success to his stay in Cleveland with the Cavaliers. “Looking back at my time in Cleveland, it was really valuable in a lot of ways,” Harris told NetsDaily. “Just being around some really high level players, guys that have had a lot of success, I’ve learned a lot from them just by watching.”
Along with the ability to knock down the three-pointer, Harris has also shown flashes of defensive excellence, which is not surprising since he spent four seasons with a Virginia Cavaliers team that puts so much emphasis on the defensive end of court.
Assuming Harris continues his production, he can become a valuable 3-and-D player for the rebuilding Nets moving forward.
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