March 7, 2008

Hornets.com chatted with New Jersey guard Devin Harris prior to Friday’s Nets-Hornets game. Harris was the biggest name to go from Dallas to New Jersey in the recent Jason Kidd trade:

Hornets.com: Your Wikipedia bio says you are “regarded as the fastest player in the NBA.” Do you agree with that? Who do you think is the second-fastest player in the league?
Harris: [grins] I’m not sure if I’m the fastest player in the league. It depends on how you look at it. I consider myself ONE of the fastest, but you’d also have to put in that group (San Antonio’s) Tony Parker, Chris Paul and (Phoenix’s) Leandro Barbosa. I’d even throw LeBron James in there.

Hornets.com: What’s your opinion of the season Chris Paul is having, moving into the discussion for MVP this season?
Harris: He’s been playing tremendous. They’ve gone from one of the bottom teams in the league to the top in a very short period of time. He’s very aggressive offensively and he’s like Steve Nash in that he can beat you in so many different ways. The fact that he’s leading the league in steals means he’s initiating the fast break a lot and making the Hornets’ defense that much better.

Hornets.com: Who wins in a race, you or Chris Paul?
Harris: [grins] I don’t know. It probably depends on what day it is.

Hornets.com: What was your initial reaction to the trade that brought you to New Jersey? Were you disappointed? Excited?
Harris: The initial reaction was I was a little bit puzzled, because I didn’t know if it was going to go through or not. It kind of got dragged out. There were a lot of ups and downs (during the period when the trade was in limbo).

Hornets.com: With how difficult the Western Conference has become, were you happy to go to the East for the first time your career?
Harris: [laughs] I’m just happy to be with this team. You know, the West is tough. There are going to be a lot of tough battles. I’m looking forward to helping a new franchise win. In the East, there is a lot of opportunity here.

Hornets.com: You’ve been playing more minutes this month than you ever have during your four-year NBA career. Do you see this as an opportunity to move up further among the ranks of the league’s point guards?
Harris: Definitely. I’m looking forward to playing more and the opportunity to showcase what I can do.

Hornets.com: What’s it been like so far to play with finishers like Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter?
Harris: It’s great. Vince is the most incredible shot-maker I’ve ever seen, with the difficult shots he’s able to make. Richard is a solid defender and will get out on the break and finish for you. So I’m looking forward to padding my assist totals playing with those two guys.

Hornets.com: What do you think are the keys over the final 20 games for the Nets to reach the playoffs?
Harris: Just getting a consistent effort starting games. And we’re trying to figure each other in a very short period of time. We’re trying to speed through the getting-to-know-you process, finding out what we do well and trying to maintain a level of effectiveness throughout the game.