Matt Harpring

Overview:A veteran forward who offers great intangibles, effort, and efficiency as a role player. A perfect fit for Jerry Sloan’s flex offense due to his ability to come off screens and knock down mid-range jumpers. Not quick or fast, but compensates with great strength for a small forward, solid size, and hustle. Plays extremely smart and is tough as nails. Has one of the highest basketball IQs around. Knows how to read the game and be in the right place at the right time. Great offensive rebounder. Does a little bit of everything on the offensive end. Gives great effort defensively, but isn’t athletic enough for that to be his calling card. Was a highly recruited quarterback in high school, but chose to play basketball full-time. Had a very impressive four year career at Georgia Tech, despite coming in with little fan-fare. Was an impact player from day one in the ACC, playing mostly the power forward position. Spent time with a few teams before landing in Utah. As tough as they come, but had a reputation for not being particularly durable. Seems to have put his injury history behind him. Not seeing as many minutes as he used to, but is still a nice asset. Offers great intangibles and leadership in the locker room, and was forced to step into a smaller role than he was used to in the past.

Offense: An very effective role-player on the offensive end. Gets the vast majority of his looks working off the ball, but will get some chances to spot up and use his size in the post. Has a good looking jump shot, but isn’t much of a 3-point threat these days. Takes most of his jumpers from the midrange, coming off short screens. Only a decent catch and shoot option from outside at this point in his career. Won’t drive to the rim all that often due to his lack of a good first step. Gets tons of open looks right at the rim by virtue of his basketball IQ and understanding of the flex offense. Incredibly good at moving without the ball and using screens to get himself open. Always knows when to duck into the paint for an easy basket. Sees the floor extremely well. Works hard on the offensive glass and gets great results there in turn. More than capable of finishing at the rim. Isn’t a great athlete or very tall, but uses the rim to shield off defenders and gets the ball on the rim as quickly as he can. Gets to the free throw line at a very good rate, and has done so his entire career. Knows how to force the refs the blow the whistle. Flails his arms and exaggerates contact with the best of them. Strong enough to hold position down low. Capable of posting up smaller players. Smart passer. Knows when to attack and when to reinitiate the offense. Will turn the ball over due to his lack of ball handling ability. Not someone who would fit into any offense, but is definitely a good fit in this one.

Defense: A gritty defender that gets more out of his physical skills than most players. Lacks the lateral quickness to keep up with the League’s elite wing players, but will play tough and pesky defense regardless. Gets underneath his matchup’s skin and can take him out of the game mentally if he isn’t careful. Shows very active hands and feet on the defensive end. Will get in a low stance and won’t give his man a clear path to the rim when he gets a step. Gets beat to the rim by some players, but not because he isn’t trying. Will get his hands on a lot of loose balls. Rebounds the ball at an excellent rate for a wing, but not quite as prolifically as he used to. Closes out under control and always gets a hand up. Always draws the toughest matchup on the floor, and while he does a good job defensively, he’s seldom put in position to succeed. Fouls at a pretty high rate.