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Wednesday March 24, 2010 11:59 AM
Rockets Recall Jermaine Taylor, Mike Harris
With injuries mounting, Houston dips into deep talent pool of D-League Vipers for reinforcements
Mike Harris has dominated D-League competition this year, averaging more than 27 points and 10 rebounds per game with the Vipers.
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Bob Schranz
Rockets.com
HOUSTON - Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the Rockets have recalled guard Jermaine Taylor and signed forward Mike Harris for the remainder of the season from Houston’s single-affiliation NBA D-League partner the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Harris marks his third GATORADE Call-Up of 2009-10, earning one each with the Rockets and Washington Wizards earlier this season.
Taylor (6-4, 210, Central Florida) has averaged 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.25 steals in eight games (four starts) with Rio Grande Valley. The rookie out of Central Florida also posted back-to-back 30-point outings in his first stint with the Vipers at Albuquerque (30 points on 2/2/10 and 32 points on 2/3/10).
Harris (6-6, 235, Rice) returns to Houston from the Rio Grande Valley, where he was averaging a league-leading 27.1 points (.582, 363-624 FG), 10.5 rebounds (third in D-League), 1.9 assists and 1.18 steals in 34 games (31 starts) with the Vipers. At the time of his Call-Up, Harris also stood sixth in the D-League with 18 double-doubles on the season. Harris earned NBA D-League Player of the Month for Jan. 2010 and has been named the NBA D-League Performer of the Week two times this season (Jan. 11-17 and Mar. 8-14). He was also named to the D-League’s 2010 Western Conference All-Star Team. Harris scored a career-high 48 points (second-highest total in Vipers history) with a career-best 24 rebounds (tied a franchise record) at Dakota (1/17/10).
A former standout at Rice University, Harris has averaged 1.3 points and 1.0 rebounds in seven NBA games with Houston and Washington this season. Signed by the Rockets on Dec. 23, Harris averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in two games before being waived by Houston on Jan. 6. Re-acquired by Rio Grande Valley on Jan. 8, he later signed a 10-day contract with the Wizards on Feb. 24, averaging 0.8 points and 0.8 boards in five appearances. He was again re-acquired by the Vipers on Mar. 7. Harris actually began the 2009-10 season as a training camp invitee with Oklahoma City, but was waived by the Thunder on Oct. 23. Harris also spent his rookie NBA season with the Rockets in 2007-08, averaging 3.6 points and 3.2 rebounds in 17 games.
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