"Frank, Candid, and to the Point" a TPFSports interview w/ Derek Harper

March 4th- Resembling every bit the player he was during playing days, there’s little that Derek Harper holds back. Frank, Candid and to the Point (no pun intended), the 11th overall pick in the 1983 NBA draft of the Dallas Mavericks was an unyielding point guard who wore down opposing backcourts for 16 NBA seasons.

Known for his aggressive defense, floor generalship and precise shooting, the 6’4, 190 pound PG out of the University of Illinois shares an NBA record with Isiah Thomas as the only two players to record 15,000 points, 6,000 assists and 1,800 steals in league history.

As the turbulence of an up and down of an Dallas Mavericks team shook his name off the list of NBA All-Star teams during his prime years, the two-time All-second team defensive player is probably more known for being a key player for a gritty New York Knicks team after being traded to the team in 1993. Playing for three seasons as the team’s point guard, he commandeered the Knicks to within one game of winning the 1994 NBA Championship, finishing the series with an NBA Finals record when hitting 17 three-pointers.

Taking time out from his broadcasting duties as an analyst for the Mavericks, we spoke to him from his home in Dallas as he gave us his insights on his playing career and his thoughts on the NBA today.

TPFSports: You entered the NBA during the leagues renaissance period. You played through the Magic and Bird rivalry, who then handed over the keys of the league to Michael, before ending your career as a Los Angeles Laker playing alongside Kobe and Shaq the year before they won their first title together. What is the biggest difference between your time in the NBA and the league now?

Harper: When I came into the league, there weren’t a lot of younger players in the NBA. When you look back to the 80’s there weren’t a lot of guys coming into the NBA straight out of High School or after one year of college. From an experience standpoint, it was very difficult for a younger guy to come into the NBA and find their way, and there was a process of paying your dues when you came into the league, so you had to prove yourself when you came out of college. What that did was force you to get better as a player. Younger guys today get more of an opportunity than they did back then, but unfortunately, a lot of them don’t get better. Now when you look at Kobe, KG, or Amare, they were thrown in the fire, so they learned the game on the fly and you lived with their mistakes. Not to say that they aren’t great players, since they had to be coming straight out of high school, but most young players, I think the process of understanding the game and knowing the nuances of the game is really missed right now. There are obviously still talented players in the league but not as fundamentally sound.

TPFSports: Speaking of fundamentals, how do you think players from early on in your career, like an Adrian Dantley, a 6’5 small forward who didn’t rely on athleticism, knew his spots on the court, would perform if they played today?

Harper: I think he would’ve been just as successful today as he was then. We used to call him “The Teacher.” He was a guy who understood his strengths and his weaknesses as well. I don’t think a lot of guys today know where they’re weak at and you can’t be as strong as you can be unless you know what your weaknesses are. Adrian was a player who played to his strengths and played for teams who understood who he was as player and got the best out of him, so there’s no question he’d do well playing right now.

If you know the game of basketball, you can play right now. You can go to the rec (center), Rucker Park, the summer leagues out in Cali and play pick up ball with no problem. Obviously, my body may not allow me to do the things I used to do, but I know if somebody denies me, I’m going to cut backdoor as opposed to running all the way to the otherside of the court because of my understanding of the game.

TPFSports: What do you think players are doing differently today as opposed to the past?

Harper: I think guys overhandle the ball right now. I don’t think one guy is meant to dominate the ball. The ball can move quicker than you can dribble the basketball up and down the court. When you look at the older teams, the ball moved. Trust me, I don’t care how bad or good they are as players, they want to touch the ball. I don’t think the game was just meant for Chris Paul, Darren Williams, Baron Davis…whoever to just keep the ball. The game wasn’t made like that. Everyone had to be involved offensively because there was no such thing as being an offensive liability because when you were on the floor when I came into the league, you had some ability to put the ball in the basket. That’s not the case anymore. You have a designated number of guys that are scorers and get the ball the most.

TPFSports: Funny you mention that, because when you look at sports today, the game itself has become more specialized. In baseball, pitchers no longer go the full nine innings like they used to. Now there’s a set up man who’s followed by the closer. In the NBA, you have more players who aren’t great shooters but are out there strictly for defensive purposes. Do you think that change has hurt the game somewhat?

Harper: It’s changed the game, not so much hurt it. There are a lot of specialists, and for what it’s worth, a lot of those players have found their niche in the league because of it. Look at Dennis Rodman, a guy who rebounded and played great defense and the game has changed to that. It’s no doubt a specialist league now. You have players like Bruce Bowen, whose made a living that way, but shooting is god in the NBA and now there aren’t a lot of shooters in the league. I came into the league where guys made shot after shot, so you couldn’t play off guys and leave them open.

Personally, I don’t think a guy should be on the basketball court if he can’t put the ball in the basket some sort of way. If you’re a basketball player you should be able to score the basketball. That’s the object of the game. While the game has changed, it’s still a successful game that America loves and everyone wants to play it.

TPFSports: You played for two title contenders with the Knicks and the Mavericks. What do you think held those teams back from winning it all?

Harper: With Mavericks, it was the Lakers kept us from winning it all. If we were in the East, I believe we would’ve been in the championship. They had three of the Top 50 players in league history with Magic, Worthy and Kareem. We took them to seven games one year but we just couldn’t get over the hump of beating the Lakers. In New York, we were a defensive minded team that had our chance. People like to put it on John (Starks), but I don’t think that was the case. He played well in Game 6 where we had a chance to win it all, but it didn’t happen. I know it may sound harsh, but if it’s for you to win a championship, you’re going to win a championship.

TPFSports: Considering the different dynasties you’ve faced, who would you rank as the best team?

Harper: I’ll say the Lakers. It doesn’t get any better than the three guys I mentioned earlier. I have a hard time believing there were better teams than those LA Lakers teams. I know Boston and Chicago had their run, but what those three guys did speak for themselves.

TPFSports: You faced both Magic and Michael in their heyday…which of the two was the toughest to defend?

Harper: Magic, because of his ability to post up at 6’9, it made it really difficult to stop him. I remember trash talking to him and yelling “play point guard and stop playing center!!!” When push came to shove, he would always take you down on the low blocks and simply work you out down there. I argue with people right now who think I’m crazy for saying Magic was just as good as Michael Jordan. I mean Michael came into the league, and people forget that he didn’t win right away. I have just as much respect for Magic as a player and as a winner as I do for Michael Jordan. Magic did the same things.

TPFSports: Minus the aesthetically eye-pleasing moves MJ had.

Harper: Exactly. Michael came into the league and was flying all over the place doing these crazy dunks and hitting ridiculous shots, and that was what the new generation of fans really wanted to see. But as far as being a pure winner, Magic was on the same level as Michael.

TPFSports: You mentioned Magic’s ability to back you down into the low blocks, if I look back at your career, you were one of the stronger point guards throughout your time in the NBA.

Harper: When I came into the league, you had to face Michael Ray Richardson and Kevin Ramsey, guards who were a bit bigger than those from the past. When I played, I didn’t want anyone to score on me, and it helped when you were strong and knew how to use it to defend. I think a lot of guys now are comfortable with exchanging baskets. I always took pride in defending and played with a chip on my shoulder.

TPFSports: Speaking about that chip on your shoulder, I clearly remember that scrum you got into with Jo-Jo English in the ’94 playoffs right in front of a seated and visibly shaken David Stern.

Harper: Man, he got in my face and I thought he was going to hit me, so I got at him before he was going to get at me.

TPFSports: The pre-emptive strike!!

Harper: People know who to **** with and who not to **** with. People aren’t crazy. You remember what happened before that brawl that took place in Detroit. Now Ron Artest is my boy and I love him as a player, but what did he do when he saw Ben Wallace coming at him? He stepped back and stretched out on the scorers table. People play crazy, but really aren’t crazy. And out of all people, Jo-Jo English? Please……

TPFSports: Ha-ha!!!! With your strength, you were able to keep offensive players at bay by using the handcheck and your knack for stealing the ball. With the handcheck now being outlawed and the NBA’s reinstitution of the zone, how has is changed the way defense is played?

Harper: I respect David Stern as a commissioner, but I think with all of those rules changes, he tried to make it a more entertaining game for the fans. Now if you’re out there and you can handcheck or manhandle players to make them uncomfortable on the court, then that’s not so attractive. And you have to give the league credit for making those changes. From a business standpoint, that’s what the league needed. It’s more entertaining for the fans to see players running up and down the court, scoring and trading baskets.

Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of defense being played right now, and I think these rules changes has forced players to play very cautious defense as a result of it.

TPFSports: You mentioned earlier that players started getting bigger when you got into the league. In today’s game, you have 6’11 small forwards and 6’8 shooting guards while dimensions of the court have remained the same. How do you think it’s affected the spacing available on the court?

Harper: Naturally, the taller guys have become, it’s had some affect on the spacing on the floor. But I don’t think it’s a huge deal though, because guys are so athletic now that they simply get it done, regardless of the size of the players.

TPFSports: With a lot of today’s players relying on athleticism, where do you think they stand from a basketball IQ standpoint?

Harper: There are some pretty cunning players on the court right now. Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Deron Williams. I think in yesterday’s game, the big guys had a greater IQ. You think about Bird, Mchale, Buck Williams and Bob Lanier, they played the game in a very efficient and smart manner.

TPFSports: They also possessed a back to the basket game a lot of today’s bigs don’t have.

Harper: Which took a lot of craftiness. Even the undersized big men like Sidney Green, and we spoke about Adrian Dantley earlier. There was just an intelligence to their game that’s missing in a lot of today’s big men.

TPFSports: Which player in the league today reminds you the most of yourself?

Harper: I’d have to say Andre Miller. I could shoot the ball a bit better than he could but Dre is solid. He’s a very crafted and underrated point guard, but he’s just a little bit too quiet for me. If you’re a point guard and you’re laid back, I’m not sure if it often works. If you’re running the team and you’re the point, people have to hear you, especially on defense. You have to be verbal.

TPFSports: In today’s NBA, you said earlier that the league currently has a lot more young guys playing compared to your time. What’s your opinion about a kid who is obviously talented enough to go directly into the NBA straight out of high school and has no genuine interest in playing at the collegiate level, but because of the minimum age requirement chooses to opt for Europe?

Harper: If the option is there, then it’s a no-brainer. Why play for free when they’re willing to pay you? Who are we kidding? We all love the game, but if they’re paying you to do it, you go ahead and do it.

TPFSports: There’s been a lot said about Mike D’Antoni’s run and gun system he introduced in Phoenix and is now being employed by the Knicks. Do you think that style of play can win a championship?

Harper: Defense wins championships, and I don’t think you can play that way offensively and have the energy to play defense. You have a team that gives up 61 points to a player one night, and the following night 52 points. If it didn’t work in Phoenix with Nash and Stoutamire, no offense to any of the current Knicks because I like Al Harrington and Nate, it’s just not a winning formula. It’s an entertaining formula, but not a winning one.

TPFSports: What did you think about the Stephon Marbury vs. Knicks management fiasco?

Harper: Well, I’m a former player, so I’m always going to step up for a player. But there’s a way to go about things. And I know Stephon, and like Stephon as a person and a player, but he set a bad example in how he’s gone about it. Showing up at Lakers games, he sort of embarrassed himself behaving in that manner.

TPFSports: As always Mr. Harper, it was great speaking to you and thank you for taking the time out to talk to us.

Harper: Likewise…always a pleasure.



Please send us your feedback regarding this interview at feedback@tpfsports.com

Posted by BigC:

Nice find.

If Harper got more touches in 94 the Knicks probably would have had a title that year.

I also use to pick Magic over Jordan.

[Edited by - BigC on 03-05-2009 05:51 AM]

Posted by islesfan:

TPFSports: There’s been a lot said about Mike D’Antoni’s run and gun system he introduced in Phoenix and is now being employed by the Knicks. Do you think that style of play can win a championship?

Harper: Defense wins championships, and I don’t think you can play that way offensively and have the energy to play defense. You have a team that gives up 61 points to a player one night, and the following night 52 points. If it didn’t work in Phoenix with Nash and Stoutamire, no offense to any of the current Knicks because I like Al Harrington and Nate, it’s just not a winning formula. It’s an entertaining formula, but not a winning one.

I've always admired Derek as a person and a player. I respect his opinion. Smart man.