Denver Nuggets news: Gary Harris visits China NBA camp, says good defenders will get plaudits after snub

The 23-year-old had a defensive rating of 107.5 and a steal average of 1.8 per game last season, according to NBA statistics, well below Denver’s average of 108.8 – the fifth weakest in the league.

And while Chinese fans tend to focus on offensive talents such as Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry and Houston Rockets’ James Harden, Harris believes “good” defenders receive sufficient plaudits.

“I think they get enough credit – everybody knows who the good defenders are because they really know the game,” said Harris at an NBA basketball camp in Mission Hills Haikou, China. “There are so many aspects of the game but that’s just a part of the NBA.”

Harris led a two-day training camp for dozens of junior Chinese players, imploring fundamental ball skills he himself practised as an aspiring player. Several participants were also fascinated with Harris’ big hands, comparing width and height as he closed out a successful first visit to China.

“Some of the kids were really good,” he said post-camp. “It was cool to see them so attentive and ready to learn ... [I have] high expectations from what they’ve shown me. They should keep having fun and look to improve.”