George O'Brien
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Quote:From today's Arizona Republic
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Harvey had what the Suns needed, and he's likely to continue to play an important role even when Stoudemire returns.
"He gives us a different kind of dimension," Iavaroni said. "Not only is he athletic, but he's very, very tough. I call it raw-boned. He loves contact. Not that we didn't have some of that, but he's an explosive kind of defender - and offensive player, potentially.
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Harvey is only 23. Last year in Denver was the first year he played much, Harvey shot 44.6%, had 5.3 rpg, and averaged 7.9 ppg in 20.9 minutes. This year in Phoenix he is hitting 60% of his shots and has averaged 6.5 rpg in the last two games - and is hitting 90% of his free throws.
It's clear that Harvey did not get playing time in Orlando because Gooden and Howard both needed to play PF. The real question was why Denver let him go after a relatively productive year.
A quick look at the Denver roster provides the answer. Their roster includes:
Marcus Camby 6'11" 225
Nene 6'11" 260
Chris Anderson 6'10 220
Francisco Ellison 7'0" 235
Rodney White 6'9" 230
Ryan Bowen 6'9" 220
Nikoloz Tskitishvili 7'0" 225
The Nuggets were probably right in thinking they could replace Harvey as a backup PF with a taller player. Ellison was the only late addition.
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Harvey had what the Suns needed, and he's likely to continue to play an important role even when Stoudemire returns.
"He gives us a different kind of dimension," Iavaroni said. "Not only is he athletic, but he's very, very tough. I call it raw-boned. He loves contact. Not that we didn't have some of that, but he's an explosive kind of defender - and offensive player, potentially.
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Harvey is only 23. Last year in Denver was the first year he played much, Harvey shot 44.6%, had 5.3 rpg, and averaged 7.9 ppg in 20.9 minutes. This year in Phoenix he is hitting 60% of his shots and has averaged 6.5 rpg in the last two games - and is hitting 90% of his free throws.
It's clear that Harvey did not get playing time in Orlando because Gooden and Howard both needed to play PF. The real question was why Denver let him go after a relatively productive year.
A quick look at the Denver roster provides the answer. Their roster includes:
Marcus Camby 6'11" 225
Nene 6'11" 260
Chris Anderson 6'10 220
Francisco Ellison 7'0" 235
Rodney White 6'9" 230
Ryan Bowen 6'9" 220
Nikoloz Tskitishvili 7'0" 225
The Nuggets were probably right in thinking they could replace Harvey as a backup PF with a taller player. Ellison was the only late addition.
