The Detroit Pistons may be getting some FOMO right about now because of what Ron Harper Jr. is accomplishing on the Boston Celtics. The former Pistons two-way player looks like a legitimate rotation piece for the Celtics, who have somehow managed to blossom into the second seed in the Eastern Conference this year.
And the reason they’ve found so much success this year is because of players like Harper. Boston has identified, signed, and developed a ton of guys who very few people expected to be big-time contributors. Players like Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, and Hugo Gonzalez.
Now, Harper looks like he’s joined the ranks of those players.
Former Pistons guard Ron Harper Jr. is showing out for the Celtics
The Pistons stole Harper from the Celtics’ G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, last year, inking him to a two-way contract. He spent the season with Detroit (and their G League team) but was waived in July.
Boston signed him to a training camp deal before the start of the season, and he won the battle for the team’s final two-way spot. Now, he seems destined to land one of the Celtics’ final standard roster spots before the season wraps up.
Harper has been a solid piece for the Celtics this year, especially in the weeks since the trade deadline. He’s been thrown into Joe Mazzulla’s rotation at times, and he’s thriving on both ends of the court.
His best performance of the season so far came in the Celtics’ loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night. He squared off against his brother, rookie Dylan Harper, and absolutely showed out off the bench.
The former Pistons guard finished the game with a career-high 22 points, three rebounds, and three assists against the Spurs, shooting 8-of-11 from the field nad 6-of-9 from behind the three-point line.
Harper has proven to be a solid three-point shooter, as evidenced by his 6-of-9 performance against the Spurs, but his on-court impact stretches so far beyond his shooting.
His 7-foot-1 wingspan helps him act as a complete menace on the defensive end of the court, and his ability to put the ball on the floor makes his offensive value that much better.
Boston has found ways to deploy Harper in very effective positions, as he’s been a great role player alongside their stars, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and now, Jayson Tatum.
Had Detroit kept Harper around, perhaps he could have been a nice role player alongside Cade Cunningham.