New York Knicks’ two-way player Jared Harper was named to the 2021 All-NBA G League First Team on Tuesday.
Harper joined NBA G League Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year Paul Reed of the Delaware Blue Coats, Oklahoma City Blue center Moses Brown, Lakeland Magic forward Mamadi Diakite, and Rio Grande Valley Vipers guard Kevin Porter Jr. in the selection.
Brown and Porter Jr. parlayed their outstanding G League performance to a significant role with their respective NBA mother clubs Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets.
On the other hand, the 5-foot-10 Harper’s chances of cracking the Knicks’ rotation is slim to none despite a stellar G League campaign.
Harper led the Westchester Knicks, New York’s affiliate team, to a 7-8 record in the G League bubble while leading the team in scoring, assists, and minutes. He made history by becoming Westchester’s first-ever recipient of the award, the highest nod a player has received in franchise history.
Harper finished fourth in the league in scoring with 21.3 points per game on 47.3 percent shooting. He had a pair of 30-point performances, including a career-high 35 points in the Knicks’ season finale win against Erie Bayhawks.
Harper also ended up as the second-best passer in the G League this season with 6.9 assists per game. He eclipsed the 10-assist mark four times this season, topped by a 13-assist showing against Fort Wayne, which tied his career-high.
The former Auburn star who went undrafted in 2019 also showed his impeccable marksmanship averaging 2.4 three-pointers made per game (third-best on the team) on a 40.3-percent clip.
Harper has appeared in garbage time in two New York Knicks games this season, totaling five minutes and two points.
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