National Basketball Association

Gary Harris: 3 Side Effects of Harris' Groin Injury

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 12:45 a.m. ET

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Apr 10, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Utah Jazz guard Alec Burks (10) defends against Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris (14) in the third quarter at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Gary Harris has been diagnosed with a partially torn groin muscle and could potentially miss between 4-6 weeks, but what will this mean for the Nuggets?

Gary Harris was one of the healthier Nuggets last season as he only missed a total of six games the entire season.

But Harris might be missing a little more than that this season, as he could potentially miss up to a total of six weeks, which would mean he would return about two to three weeks in to the season.

Gary Harris was possibly the most consistent Nugget last season and without his stability in the starting lineup, it will be quite interesting as to how head coach Michael Malone will set the rotation.

It will also be interesting to see if Murray will start or not. Could Malone use Murray for first team minutes while Barton helps anchor down the bench? It’s just an irrelevant thought.

Oct 3, 2016; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) passes the ball under pressure from Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet (23) during the fourth quarter at Scotiabank Saddledome. Denver won 108-106. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

With the Gary Harris injury, it’ll mean there will be more playing time for the rookies.

Michael Malone had to rely heavily on his two rookies last season because of injuries, so this isn’t quite a new experience for Malone as he will have to make a decision as to who starts at SG and who comes off the bench between Jamal Murray and Will Barton. Malik Beasley had a strong performance in his first preseason game as a Nugget as well and could possibly be seeing some minutes due to the Harris injury as well.

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Both Jamal Murray and Malik Beasley impressed with their play in the first preseason game as Murray finished with 8 points and Beasley finished with 9 points on a perfect 4-4 shooting.

The Harris injury isn’t good news for the Nuggets at all, but if there was something good that came from this news, it would be that the rookies could get more experience in the NBA, even if it is still mostly only preseason.

The biggest area of concern while Harris is out will be on the defensive end as both Murray and Beasley are more well known for their offensive scoring and not their defensive skills. If the Nuggets can somehow get solid defense during the first couple of games during the regular season out of the rookies and Will Barton, then Harris’s absence won’t be as stressful as it could be.

Apr 8, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone in the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

 Michael Malone has emphasized defense since his arrival and he will be missing his best defender in Harris for all of the preseason and possibly some of the regular season.

Since his arrival as head coach, Michael Malone has been all about defense and the Nuggets struggled for majority of last season on that end of the floor.

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The best defender for the Nuggets was Gary Harris and it will take some adjusting for Malone to know that his best defender will be out a while.

Not only was Harris the best defender on the team, but he was also the most consistent. Harris held together the starting lineup because you could count on him to put up similar numbers every game. Inconsistency was a big issue for the Nuggets, but they counted on Harris to remain consistent and he did. Rookies aren’t well known for their consistency and if Malone decides to start Murray, they likely won’t get similar consistency from him. This means that it’s quite likely the Nuggets will lean more on Gallinari and Chandler to bring the team more consistency.

It’s never good for a team to lose their starting SG for over a month, but with the depth that the Nuggets have, it shouldn’t be terrible for the team’s success. Although injuries suck and can ruin a team, having Harris’ injury during preseason is a best-case scenario for the Nuggets as he won’t miss much of the regular season at all.

Mar 28, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris (14) in the third quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at the Pepsi Center. The Mavericks defeated the Nuggets 97-88. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Harris suffered a groin injury and most groin injuries linger on for quite some time.

The worst news of Gary Harris suffering a partially torn groin muscle is the fact that it is a groin injury.

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Groin injuries don’t go away easily. Most players that suffer similar injuries are usually sidelined some even after they return from their injury due to the fact that groin injuries linger on for quite some time.

Groin injuries occur in all sports and the players that get them don’t really heal once and don’t have to worry about it again. Their injuries usually drag on for sometimes months with them missing various games throughout because the injury never really goes away. This could be haunting for Harris and the Nuggets because of Harris’ role on the Nuggets.

He was relied on heavily last season and it likely won’t be much different this year, but having a groin injury is not good for him or the team.

Gary Harris is a key cog for the Nuggets and he shouldn’t miss too much of the regular season, but head coach Michael Malone and his staff will have to make a decision on how they are going to cope with Harris’ injury.

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