The Denver Nuggets have held two predraft workouts and C.J. Harris, the senior guard out of Wake Forest, took part in both of them. The sharp-shooting Harris warranted another look by the Nuggets. From his bio page at Wake Forest:
Four-year letter winner and three-year team captain who will go down as one of the most productive players in program history … Two-time third team All-ACC honoree … One of eight players in school history to serve as team captain for three seasons … Developed into one of the top guards in the ACC … Excellent outside shooter who could also get to the rim … One of the most accurate free throw shooters in the country who led the ACC in free throw percentage as a junior and again as a senior … Most comfortable at the off-guard position but could also play the point … Solid defender with a high basketball IQ … Local product who grew up just minutes from campus.
He averaged 15 points in his senior season to go along with shooting 43% from three-point range and 84% from the free throw line. Those are two areas where the Nuggets are definitely looking to improve. Harris is 22 years-old and doesn't have the best size for a shooting guard at 6'2", but he could be groomed to run the point in the NBA.
"CJ had a really good college career at Wake Forest," said Nuggets scout Mike Bratz. "He's another combo guard that is maybe not quite ready to be a point guard in the NBA, but if he improves his handle, his passing ability – he's a good scorer – he'll have a chance."
Harris is not projected to be drafted, according to Draft Express' latest mock draft, but it's always a good idea to get familiar with guys and there's a great chance he could sign with a team like Denver to play Summer League and perhaps earn a shot to make the team at training camp.
"I wanted to get to know him a little bit," said Bratz. "I saw him play quite a bit in college and wanted to give him a chance to come down and meet our staff."
That's Harris the player, now let's get to know him a bit more Q&A style with the man himself.
Nate Timmons: What were you planning on doing with your Communications major?
C.J. Harris: Once the ball stops bouncing, something in front of the camera. Sportscasting, broadcasting, or something like that.
NT: The next Reggie Miller or Charles Barkley?
CJ: That's a good question, probably Reggie Miller. Charles Barkley, he's a comedian up there.
NT: What players did you admire or watch growing up?
CJ: I've always been a Kobe [Bryant] fan, a Michael Jordan fan of course, but Kobe is my all time favorite player.
NT: If you were stranded on a desert island – would you rather be stranded with Shaquille O'Neal or Charles Barkley?
CJ: Charles Barkley, he'd have me laughing for days.
NT: You're on the brink of the NBA, once you're established would you rather have your own shoe deal, your own videogame, or your own restaurant?
CJ: A shoe deal would be pretty cool – get to wear your own shoes. Definitely a shoe deal.
NT: On a guesstimate, do you own a lot of shoes?
CJ: I do, probably 80-something pairs. It's bad.
NT: Are they all sneakers or do you mix it up?
CJ: I switch it up a little bit. I like hard tops, slippers, all different kinds of shoes. Most of them are Jordan's and Nike's.
NT: What are your favorite retro Jordan's?
CJ: Either the Chicago Bulls 10s or the black and red 11s.
The Jordan 10s via fermat.unh.edu
NT: We're on MTV Cribs and we open your refrigerator. What do we find?
CJ: I love lemonade. What else would you find … yogurt, I eat pretty healthy. A bunch of sandwich stuff.
NT: How about on a cheat day?
CJ: (No hesitation) Pizza, I have a weakness for pizza. Pepperoni, just plain classic pepperoni and cheese.
NT: What would we find you doing on an off-night?
CJ: Watching movies, I love movies – especially the Marvel films.
NT: What's your favorite Marvel film?
CJ: That's tough – probably The Avengers.
NT: Did you see Iron Man 3? They mention Thor in it, but nobody comes to help Iron man out.
CJ: They left him hanging.
NT: At some point in your basktball career, let's say Hollywood comes calling and wants you to star in a movie. Would you want that movie to be a comedy, action, horror, or Sci-Fi film?
CJ: Action. I always wanted to shoot [weapons] and do some crazy 007 stuff.
NT: Would you do your own stunts?
CJ: I'll do the shooting, but I'm not doing jumping off buildings and stuff.
NT: What's a good movie you've recently seen?
CJ: The Great Gatsby was great.
NT: Did you like the story line? I found it hard to like any of the characters.
CJ: I really liked it, I thought it was great. Gatsby was probably my favorite character. He was kind of crazy, but at the end he was the good guy.
NT: We've seen some good players come out of Wake Forest, will you be the next one?
CJ: I definitely hope so, I put a lot of hard work into it so hopefully it pays off in the end.
NT: One of the best Wake Forest players to play in Denver was Rodney Rogers. Are you familiar with him?
CJ: I know he was a beast in college. He actually came back [to Wake Forest] and spoke to us two years ago.
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Talking with all these prospects has been great. They've all been very friendly and engaging. With that said, it was really good talking with Harris. He's a very sharp young man and I hope he realizes his NBA dream – he's an easy guy to root for. Now check him out killing North Carolina from beyond the arc …
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