Ron Harper Jr, Boston Celtics
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Ron Harper Jr, Boston Celtics
Ron Harper Jr. got the first start of his NBA career as the Boston Celtics took down the Houston Rockets, 114-93. He ended the night with 11 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists, shooting 50% from the field on 4-of-8 shooting.
When speaking to the media after the game, Harper Jr. discussed the emotions of getting his first start.
“Team meeting. My name was up there on the matchup, so I knew I was getting a start, and I just knew I had to be ready,” Harper Jr. said. “It felt rewarding, obviously, you know, it just felt good to be rewarded for hard work. Dedication, you know. Joe makes a heavy emphasis that everybody’s going to get their shot, so just stay ready and be ready. I felt like I did a good job of that tonight.”
However, Harper Jr’s first start also came with an unenviable task, as he was asked to guard future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant.
“Don’t let him score, man. Just do everything in my power to try to deny him the ball, try to deny him catches, and try to make his life difficult,” Harper Jr said when explaining his mindset. “And I feel like the rest of the guys, and I did a great job at that. I feel like we were able to frustrate him a little bit, and it ultimately led to us getting a lot of stops.”
Harper Jr, is currently on a two-way contract with the Celtics. He’s spent the majority of the season with the Maine Celtics in the G League. However, with the recent trade that sent Anfernee Simons to the Chicago Bulls, he may see his contract converted into a standard NBA deal.
Boston has an open roster spot.
Celtics Could Still Make Another Trade
According to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston, the Celtics might not be done at the NBA trade deadline.
“There’s probably another shoe to drop,” Forsberg said via the “Celtics Talk” podcast. “It’s not hard to put these pieces together. Chris Boucher was unlikely to be here long-term … so we’ll see what happens from here. They could look at the trade market; they still have plenty of exceptions, and they have plenty of means. They might crawl back onto the first apron depending on how much salary they take on, but they could figure that part out. With the fact that Boucher’s money will come off, it should clear enough money to make some moves.”
The Celtics are only $6 million over the tax. Brad Stevens may look to complete his cost-cutting mission before 3 PM on Feb. 5, while also rounding out the roster.
Celtics Might Target A Veteran Guard
During the same episode of the “Celtics Talk” podcast, Forsberg noted that Boston could look to add another guard to the rotation. Ideally, that new addition would be a talented veteran on a team-friendly deal.
“The comp I would always use is a Kris Dunn type: a veteran guy who plays defense, can be a secondary ball-handler, spell Payton and Derrick at times,” Forsberg said. “(He’s) probably not going to play a ton of minutes in the postseason, but if you could get somebody like that on a minimum deal or end-of-season money, then it’s just another body to navigate both the end of the regular season and potential spot minutes in the postseason.”
However, with the way Harper Jr. played on Wednesday, the Celtics may already have their backup guard in place. And, if that’s the case, it’s as simple as converting his current deal.