Like most second-rounders, Tyler Harvey isn’t exactly a well-known name, even among college basketball enthusiasts. However, the guard from Eastern Washington University can be found pretty easily sitting atop all the scorers in college basketball. Harvey lead all scorers with 22.9 points per game this past season. DraftExpress had this to say about the guard: “An extremely efficient scorer, Harvey joins just six other players to post multiple collegiate seasons of at least 20 points per game on a 60% true shooting percentage (Stephen Curry, Ryan Toolson, Ricky Minard, Kevin Martin, Ike Diogu and Doug McDermott 3x) in our database since 2000. Although he was somewhat tucked away in obscurity playing in the Big Sky Conference, Harvey proved he could score against high-major teams by averaging 26.3 points per 40 minutes on a 61% true shooting percentage against teams from BCS conferences, according to our database."
As a member of the Magic, Harvey looks like an offensive punch coming off the bench and spelling Elfrid Payton for short periods of time. His scoring ability is something the Magic desperately need and floor spacing from the point guard position is certainly something they won’t be getting when Payton is on the floor—not yet, at least. In the NCAA Tournament, Harvey even made six three pointers against the fourth-seeded Georgetown Hoyas.
Physically, Harvey doesn’t stand out. He isn’t a freak athlete and his arms are pretty short for someone his height (only 6’5.5”). There have also been questions about his effort level on defense which is something Rob Hennigan has preached since taking over as GM.
If the Magic even decide to keep Harvey on the roster, there’s a good chance he’ll see more than his fair share of time in Erie with the Magic’s D-League affiliate. Either way, He’ll be suiting up for one of the Magic’s Summer League teams and the opportunity will be there for the taking. Judging by Harvey’s college highlights from this past season, it would appear he could carve out a role for himself in the NBA with his scoring ability alone.
