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18. Ron Harper

18. Ron Harper

Ron Harper is best known for winning five NBA Championships, three with the Chicago Bulls and two with the Los Angeles Lakers.  He brought those teams a veteran presence and a high basketball IQ, but this was very different than what he was asked to do when he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Harper was drafted 8th overall by the Cavs in 1986, and as a rookie, he would be asked to be the team's scorer.  His rookie season would see him score 22.9 Points per Game, which would be his career-high.  The Shooting Guard again would have a 20 plus PPG in his third year and was averaging 22.0 Points before he was traded midway through the year to the Los Angeles Clippers.  Harper overall averaged 19.3 Points per Game for Cleveland, but he was honing his defensive skills, namely his ability to steal the rock.  Harper was third in overall  Steals as a rookie and was seventh in his third season.  Had he played longer for Cleveland, he would be much higher on this list.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Shooting Guard
  • Acquired: Selected in the 1st Round, 8th Overall 6/17/86.
  • Departed: Traded to the Los Angeles Clippers with a 1990 1st Round Pick, a 1991 2nd Round Pick and a 1992 1st Round Pick (which would be Loy Vaught, Joe Wylie, and Elmore Spencer respectively) for Danny Ferry and Reggie Williams 11/16/89.
  • Games Played: 228
  • Per Game Averages: 35.1 MP
    .481 eFG%
    .713 FT%
    19.4 PTS
    4.7 RB
    5.1 AST
    2.3 STL
    1.0 BLK

    9 Playoff Games
    35.9 MP
    .523 eFG%
    .738 FT%
    18.8 PTS
    4.6 RB
    3.9 AST
    2.4 STL
    0.9 BLK
  • Advanced Stats: 18.1 PER
    .526 TS%
    10.2 VORP
    18.7 WS

    9 Playoff Games
    20.0 PER
    .562 TS%
    0.6 VORP
    1.0 WS
  • Major Accolades and Awards: First Team All-Rookie (1987)

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