Matt Harpring

Matthew Joseph Harpring ( born March 31, 1976 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is a former American professional basketball player who was active in the NBA 1998-2009.

Career

After Matt Harpring played four years as a starter for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket, he moved in 1998 to the professional. At the annual talent selection Harpring was engaged at 15 out of the Orlando Magic. In his rookie season Harpring started in 22 of 50 games and scored 8.2 points and pulled 4.3 rebounds per game. He was All- Rookie First elected to the NBA team for this achievement.

In the season 1999-00 Harpring played only four games before it failed due to injury for the rest of the season. In 2000, he transferred to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers Harpring scored as -starting small forward 11.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in 56 games. 2001 he moved to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he started in all 81 games and hung up 11.8 points and 7.1 rebounds.

In 2002, Harpring as a free agent with the Utah Jazz, where he was previously migrated Donyell Marshall heir to the small forward position and relieve the jazz - Stars Karl Malone and John Stockton. Harpring played 2002-03 the best season of his career. He scored 17.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, hit 51.1 % from the field and 41.3 % from the three-point line. When choosing the most improved player of the season he landed on the second place. After 2003 Stockton retired and Malone joined the Lakers, appointed coach Jerry Sloan Harpring as the new captain of the team. However, Harpring was injured severely, so that he was able to complete only 31 games. With 16.2 points per game, Harpring was Utah's scoring leader of the season.

With the signing of Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur and the fact that Andrei Kirilenko developed during Harprings injury to All-Star, Harpring lost after his recovery his place. Despite all that, he was highly appreciated by coach Sloan for his tough defense and cleverness, so he came in recent years mainly as Best sixth man off the bench.

2009 Harpring was traded along with Eric Maynor for Peter Fehse to the Oklahoma City Thunder, for he never ran aground. In his eleven-year career Harpring scored 11.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.

He is currently employed as a game analyst for NBA TV and occasionally as a color commentator for games the Utah Jazz.