Cavs' Harris welcomes opportunity with Charge

Assignment to the NBA Development League is not always greeted with eager anticipation.

Take for instance former Cavaliers player and Notre Dame great Luke Harangody, who reacted to being sent to Canton like a guy being dragged to Bed Bath & Beyond by his better half on a football Sunday afternoon.

At the opposite end of that spectrum is second-year Cavs guard Joe Harris.

“This is so valuable for me to come down here and get the opportunity to play,” Harris said as he signed autographs for fans after the Charge opened the season with a 106-99 loss to Maine on Saturday. “And I’m competitive, too, so I miss playing. I was so excited to come down here. I was like champing at the bit to get some game action.”

Harris looked hungry. He scored 31 points, his career high with the Charge. He scored 15 points in the third quarter as he keyed a rally from down as many as 29 in the second quarter.

Harris, whom the Cavs chose early in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft, added nine rebounds and three assists. He made 11 of 25 shots from the field and 5 of 11 3-pointers Saturday.

Barring an injury with the Cavs, Harris said he will be with the Charge through at least Tuesday, when they play in Delaware against the 87ers.

Harris played 38 minutes Saturday after playing a grand total of 14 minutes in four games with the Cavs so far this season.

“It’s an adjustment, but that’s the reason this league exists and why I get to come down,” Harris said. “It’s good for me to come down and get those sort of minutes. I’ve played real spotty minutes usually at the end of (Cavs) games. I try to make the most of those, but it’s tough. So to come down here and get this experience is great. It helps get you in shape, too. There’s only so much you can do working with the skill-development guys and doing cardio on the bike.”

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