By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
There’s no player who’s putting on a stronger MVP argument in the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season so far than Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem guard Jared Harper.
Harper is by far the EuroCup’s leading scorer with 23.1 points; no one else is averaging more than 19.0. He’s also ranked third in assists (5.8 apg.) and is the only player featured in the top three of the two main offensive categories while spending 29:22 on the floor.
Impressive individual numbers aside, Harper’s performances are the main reason behind Jerusalem’s 7-2 record as of Round 9.
“I’m in a good moment personally,” Harper told Eurohoops. “As a collective as a team, we are in a good moment. We play really good basketball.”
“As a team, when we play good defense then we are able to feed off that defense,” Harper added. Jerusalem has the top defensive rating in the EuroCup with 73.4. “I have a great group of teammates and coaches around me that believes in my abilities and that helps. So I just go out there and make the plays I know I can make.”
The efficient way Harper balances scoring for himself with initiating offense for his teammates is truly spectacular. What makes his numbers more special is the fact that he doesn’t need to dominate his squad’s possessions to produce big.
Harper isn’t even the player with the highest usage rate among Jerusalem players, being ranked 13th overall in the EuroCup with 29.8 percent.
“I just feel I can do both things well because of reading the game,” Harper said. “Of course, if my scoring ability forces the defenders to pay more attention to me, that causes my teammates to be open more. Then it’s all about just trying to make the right play as much as possible if there are defenders who are locked on me, paying attention to when my teammates are open, making the pass, make the right play. When I see an advantage for me, I will try to make shots and score, that’s what I do… It all comes down to trying to make the right play. Always.”
The 27-year-old Harper has had some stunning nights when it comes to filling the opponent’s basket. He dropped 30 points versus Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana and, most recently, registered a 35-piece against Turk Telekom Ankara in a display that granted him his third MVP of the Round award this season.
When he felt one of his teammates was in the zone, he took a backseat and let them cook. Like he did vs. Aris Midea Thessaloniki when he produced a career-high 15 assists.
“I had games like at Aris when I had 15 assists. I felt that we played well as a team. Moving the ball around. Justin [Smith] had a great game. So I tried to get him involved as much as possible.
“Then there are other nights. Like against Turk Telekom when I had to go offensively and score. Every game is a different situation and I adapt to it When my team needs me to score I score more. When my team needs me to facilitate that’s what I do. It’s all about my team’s needs and what I read of each game specifically.”
During his time in Jerusalem, Harper has elevated the overlooked and perhaps misunderstood skill of winning fouls into an art form. So far this EuroCup season, he’s drawing an insane number of 8.5 fouls.
Harper explained how he turned what may look like a disadvantage when it comes to his 1.78 meters height into a weapon to actually manipulate the way the opposing coaches approach defending him.
“I think it’s just from learning how to play and understanding defense,” Harper said. “I feel like particularly, for me being undersized and for me being able to score, that’s important. The first thing coaches want to do with somebody undersized is: ‘Oh, okay, let’s be physical with him because he’s smaller.’ And I feel like I’m a stronger player, but I also understand how defenses want to play me. When defenses want to play me physically I can use my speed against their physicality to draw fouls. Ultimately, it helps me get to the line more, get into the rhythm more offensively and, of course, it helps my team if we can get to the bonus earlier. Drawing fouls and being able to shoot more free throws… All in all, it’s a good thing for me but more importantly it’s a good thing for the team.”
By signing in Jerusalem, Harper reunited with his Auburn Tigers teammate and friend Austin Wiley. The two of them played together for three years in college, from 2016 to 2019, and in the last of those seasons were members of the first-ever Tigers team to make the NCAA Final Four.
So far this season Harper hasn’t managed to play beside Wiley much after the big man was sidelined with a wrist injury late in October.
“It’s great [playing with Wiley],” Harper commented. “We had a great start in the season before he got hurt. Just build on the chemistry that we had back in college. I’m looking forward to hopefully getting him back sooner than later. He’s a great piece for our team. Just a big inside presence for us who can do a lot of things around the rim and rebounding. It’s probably the biggest thing he brings to the table. I hope we get him back soon.”
Wiley signed with Jerusalem early in July and Harper joined the Israeli club two weeks later. While the presence of his former teammates surely gave some extra incentive for Harper to move to Jerusalem, the main thing that he was looking for was being an important part of a team and having the right opportunity that would allow him to unfold his talents.
Jerusalem provided him with both. Now, he’s making the most out of it.
“The biggest thing for me coming to Hapoel was being more consistent with my role on the team,” Harper said. “My role when it comes to what they saw in me and what I felt I could do with a bigger role than the one I had with Valencia during the two previous years.
“So the role was probably the biggest thing. The coach also. Coach Yonatan [Alon] believed in me from Day 1. He allowed me to be the player I had been previously for years before going to Valencia and the player I know I can be.”
Harper spent most of his first three years as a professional in the G League while playing 16 games in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns, the New York Knicks and the New Orleans Pelicans. He was a G League First Team selection in 2021 and made the Third Team in 2022.
That summer, he made the jump to Europe for the first time in his career by signing with EuroLeague club Valencia. While he didn’t establish himself on the team as much as he wanted amid some injury problems, he took some valuable lessons that he’s now putting into action with Jerusalem.
“I feel like I learned a lot about the European game,” Harper said. “Of course, playing in the EuroLeague for two years, playing against all the great guards whether it’s Mike James, Shane Larkin. So many different guards on so many different teams that play in their unique way. I tried to take certain things from everybody’s game I played against at this level. I’m trying to implement this to parts that fit in my game.
“Spain was definitely a system where I learned a lot and I think it was good for me to come into this situation in Jerusalem where there are some things similar to Spain but there are other things that aren’t similar to Spain. Maybe they are closer to the American style of play. Managing to implement both styles has helped me because I’ve been able to play both ways.”
Being healthy also helps.
“It’s been great,” Harper said. “It was a lot tougher last year balancing a couple of injuries at different points throughout the season. The best thing for me to do is just to be healthy. I’m glad to be healthy It allows me to stay in rhythm. I felt like last year as soon as I was starting to get into rhythm, I got hurt again and I would be in and out of the lineup which made it tougher for me to be consistent and be able to get playing time. This year has been great, I’m thankful to be healthy. When I’m able to keep my rhythm, playing games, I can do a lot to help my team win.”
Some players or teams hesitate to name specific, long-term goals, at least publicly. Others, don’t have any problem declaring outright that they are locked in on the big prize at the end of the road.
What’s the case for Harper and Jerusalem?
“I’d say it’s a mix of both. Because I felt like from the first nine games thus far we’ve played all of the opponents on our side and we see we are one of the top teams in the standings right now. We lost to Valencia and Cluj, but I feel we can play against anybody. I feel we are playing our best basketball thus far this season in this moment. We continue to get better. We’ve been in every game. I feel we can beat every team. Saying that, I don’t think it’s a stretch for us to feel like we can win the EuroCup. Because we know we play that when we play our best basketball we can be at that level.”
“My main goal is to continue to get better every day. I feel like me being here in Jerusalem has been great. It’s the first time in a couple of years where I feel like I really have fun playing basketball. I’m enjoying playing with the team and being out here in Israel. Just continue getting better every day. I feel we have a great chance as a team and we can play or beat any team in the EuroCup. I’m excited to continue to play well as a team, continue get more wins and see if we can get to the Finals of EuroCup and do something special.”
While Jerusalem already looks fine at 7-2, there’s still the sense that they carry a lot of untapped potential. After all, they have been playing without injured big men Wiley and Smith since Round 5 while fellow frontline member Nimrod Levi has yet to make his season debut.
Still, the team looks unfazed by such problems thanks to the togetherness that characterizes the group.
“It shows that we are a great team,” Harper said. “With people out, we have people who can step in roles to help the team win. That’s the best thing about our team. If people go out, we have a great group of guys who all want to step up in whatever role they are asked to step up into to help win. I think that’s the common goal of what we have in mind which is to win. It’s the most important thing and I’m glad we have such a strong mindset that’s focused on winning.”
Despite the fighting going on in the north and south of Israel, Harper said he is enjoying his time in the Holy Land.
“I feel really comfortable here in Jerusalem,” Harper said. “I haven’t had any safety issues where I fell afraid or scared. I’ve been walking around Jerusalem or even other, different parts of Israel. Walking outside, life is normal vs. what you see on the news. I’m comfortable here and my family is comfortable here. I have no complaints. I enjoy having the home games, at least in the Israeli Winner League, here. I wish we could have the EuroCup games here in Israel as well.
The games of both Israeli EuroCup clubs, Jerusalem and Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, are hosted in Samokov, Bulgaria due to the war.
“I think it would be really important for us to be able to host the games in Jerusalem,” Harper added. “It’s important for us as a team and important for our fans. To be able to watch us competing in EuroCup, especially being the team that we are and being in the position that we are. It’s an exciting time for us as a team and also for our fans. Of course, as a team, we want to be able to play the games in front of our fans. It’s very tough to play our home games in Bulgaria. Fingers crossed and hopefully before the end of the season, we’ll be able to also play EuroCup games in Jerusalem.”
Photo: EuroCup Basketball