Well, well, well. It turns out Paul George might be on the Al Horford plan after all. George will miss his first game with the Boston Celtics on Monday night in their back-to-back against the Houston Rockets. They also simply might be conserving him for their three games in four nights. In any case, his absence could open the door for Ron Harper Jr. to assert himself.
Harper hasn't gotten much burn this season, but his absences stem from both playing for a deep team and recovering from a shoulder injury. George's absence paves the way for him to reassert himself and against the team who he had his breakout against last season: the Houston Rockets.
Harper didn't light up the box score, but everyone saw the work he gave Kevin Durant in Boston's matchup against Houston. In a game in which they didn't have either Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown, the Celtics had what may have been their most impressive blowout victory of last season (though the Rockets themselves were also pretty undermanned).
So with George out, Harper could get the chance to prove three things: One, what happened against Houston last year wasn't a fluke. Two, he should be playing more consistent minutes. Three, he deserves a shot at being a starter.
Harper showed flashes last season only because Boston didn't consistently depend on him. Because none of their wings besides George and Jayson Tatum (save for Sam Hauser) have made themselves stand out, this is Harper's chance to prove what he can do.
If he thrives, Boston gets better
*If* Harper sees a bigger role open up for him on Monday, and he proves them right to trust him, it would serve as good proof that he deserves a bigger role. Of course, it's one game, so he would need to prove this over a stretch of games instead of just one. Hugo Gonzalez and Jordan Walsh have had their moments, but not consistency. At least, not yet.
If Harper shows that he can still shut down Durant while also holding his end offensively - let the record show that expecting him to replace George completely is ridiculous - Boston can't keep him down. Most of Boston's young wings have gotten the chance to show themselves this season except Harper, and it sounds as though it was only like that because he was hurt.
Last season, more often than not, when they called his name, he did wonders for them. This is the first of what will likely be multiple chances for him to step up in George's absence (and others'). If he passes with flying colors, it would be foolish to keep him down.
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