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OP sports mobileThe D-League means exposure for Ivan Harris
Harris took a pay cut for the chance to play ‘every game’ in front of NBA scouts.
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Harris still takes his performance in stride.
“I think I shot all my jumpers in warm-ups,” Harris says. “I couldn’t buy a bucket during the game.”
After a seven-hour bus ride, the BayHawks arrive back in Erie at 5 a.m. They face Fort Wayne again in 14 hours.
Shooting better
Harris is at home in Erie.
Before the game at the Louis J. Tullio Arena, he draws several oohhs and ahhs from the crowd with a slam dunk during pre-game warm-ups.
He’s quickly become a fan favorite. Harris wears a headband for every game and plays to the crowd after every made 3-pointer. He’s also remembered from his time at Ohio State.
Harris gets a big ovation from the crowd when he’s announced as a member of the starting lineup for the BayHawks’ regular-season finale in front of a season-high 5,252 fans against Fort Wayne on Saturday, April 11.
On this night, everything is going right for Harris.
Through one quarter, he’s got eight points, on 4-of-8 shooting, and three rebounds.
With 3:42 remaining in the first half, Harris nails a shot right inside the 3-point line to give Erie a 49-39 lead.
That’s when he hears Donnell “Bubba” Jordan, Erie’s biggest fan.
“Let’s go I, let’s go I,” says Jordan, who’s seated courtside next to the scorer’s table. He’s wearing a black BayHawks’ headband with matching wristbands and is banging the cowbells the organization gave out as a promotion earlier in the season.
As a basketball fan in a non-NBA city, Jordan loves the D-League. He loves the energy of both the crowd and the game — and he’s a big fan of Harris.
“He’s super,” Jordan says.
When it comes to fans, the D-League is as friendly as possible. Like most minor-league sporting events, the teams run promotions during timeouts and encourage players to sign autographs after the game. The league also telecasts every game live on the Internet so fans can watch road games.
Harris can feel the excitement in the crowd. He rolls off a screen to nail his first shot of the second half.
A few moments later, Harris breaks free for a dunk, but decides to pull back for a layup and is fouled by Hunter. While shooting free throws, he gets a earful from Jordan.
“You should’ve went for the dunk, Ivan,” Jordan says. “You should’ve went for that dunk.”
With 4:41 to go in the third quarter, Harris makes a 3-pointer from the right wing, the same spot he and McDonald worked from before Friday’s game.
“All day, Ivan,” Jordan says. “All day.”
Two minutes later, Harris hits another 3. In the fourth quarter, Harris hits his final 3-pointer to cap off a 26-point, five-rebound night.
After the game, Harris is interviewed by WICU, Erie’s NBC affiliate.
He’s more than happy about rebounding from the previous night’s disappointing performance. He said he felt like the freshest player on the floor after missing most of the second half Friday.
“I knew I had to come out stronger than I did last night,” Harris said. “I got in foul trouble, and I think my mind just wasn’t there. Tonight I had to come out and just focus on my shots and play defense.”
Just another night in the D-League.
Looking ahead
Three days later, Harris’ season is over.
The NBA D-League playoff format allows for eight teams to advance to the playoffs with the three division winners each picking their opponents in a one-game single elimination first round.
The BayHawks earned the No. 7 seed, but the Colorado 14ers, the No. 1 seed, chose to play them.
Harris had 18 points, but the BayHawks gave up a season-high point total in a 129-108 loss.
Harris finishes the season averaging 15.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He’s always been a pure shooter, and he proved it with Erie, leading the team in both free throw shooting (86.7 percent) and 3-point shooting (42.9 percent).
“Ivan’s done a great job,” Treloar says. “I’m really proud of him. The thing that has happened is everybody in the league knows now he’s one of the best shooters in the league. They really have worked to crowd him and take away his outside jump shot. He’s worked to get better driving the ball. He’s improved on that.”
According the ESPN.com research, 3-point shooting percentages and attempts have increased in the last 15 years. In the 1994-95 NBA season, teams shot 9.9 3-pointers per game, making 33.3 percent. This season, teams are shooting 18.1 3-pointers per game and making 36.7 3-pointers per game — which could make a 3-point shooter like Harris a hot commodity in the NBA.
This summer, Harris will play in the NBA summer league in Las Vegas and could have a chance to compete at the Cleveland Cavaliers’ minicamp in June.
“That will give him a chance to make a team,” Treloar said. “He’s just got to keep working and keep getting better. I really think he’s got a chance to play in the NBA.”
Harris has the same goal as every other player in the D-League — catching on with an NBA team. This summer could go a long way in helping him realize his NBA dream.
“You just want to get some exposure and develop your game,” Harris said. “Hopefully you get that 10-day contract (with an NBA team), and one day you’ll stick.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0365 or mcooper@coxohio.com.
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