Friday, the Boston Celtics will participate in their first NBA Cup game, a tilt against the Chicago Bulls at TD Garden. The day before, Ron Harper Jr., Mike Conley, and Dillon Mitchell were at the Watertown Boys & Girls Club.
Dressed as Scooby-Doo [Conley], the Cat in the Hat [Harper], and SpongeBob SquarePants [Mitchell], they helped the Celtics and Xfinity host a Halloween surprise party.
After Thursday's community event, Harper provided an encouraging update on his shoulder injury.
"I took my time. Got myself back healthy, and I'm feeling 100 percent," conveyed the six-foot-five wing. He made his season debut three days earlier. He quickly demonstrated his dynamic repertoire. In seven minutes on the parquet, the fifth-year wing buried a 3; he swiped a steal and grabbed an offensive rebound.
Ron Harper Jr. gives the Celtics a valuable layer of depth
Depth is more critical now than ever in the Association. The pace, the number of possessions, and the constant activity at both ends of the floor are grueling. The modern game has made the traditional approach of relying on an eight-player rotation ill-advised.
It won't always be easy for Harper. He is on a crowded depth chart. He's one of Boston's quartet of burgeoning wings. He's jockeying for playing time with Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, and Hugo Gonzalez. Of course, they aren't just competing with each other for minutes. This is also a team featuring Jayson Tatum, Paul George, and Sam Hauser.
But as Harper saw last season, his opportunities will come. He arrived on an Exhibit 10 deal that turned into a two-way arrangement. When Joe Mazzulla called his number, he consistently capitalized. That earned him a three-year, $9 million contract this summer.
So, yes, Tatum's healthy, George is a new addition, and the younger wings didn't spend the offseason aiming to stay the same. But the former Rutgers star had a great summer, too. Anchored in Boston, he spent much of it at the Auerbach Center. The 26-year-old Swiss Army knife was sharpening a dynamic skill set.
What Ron Harper Jr brings to the Celtics
He can initiate the offense, serve as a secondary playmaker or connector, knock down 3s, and generate extra possessions. Defensively, thanks to his seven-foot-two wingspan and high IQ, he can capably guard 1-4. They also help him disrupt ball-handlers and jump passing lanes.
He also contributes on the defensive glass, as evidenced by his 3.7 defensive rebounds per 36 minutes last season.
Boston has 16 back-to-backs this year. That is tied for the most in the league. His season debut came on the front end of their first one. Those, plus the unpredictability of the 82-game slate and Harper's talent, will get the Celtics' fifth-year wing onto the court.
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