The Index · Legend

Derek HarperDallas Mavericks · #12

Guard · 6'3", 190 lb · 16th season

Derek Harper is a retired guard best known with the Dallas Mavericks. A steady two-way point guard. Career averages: 13.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.

Balladex Impact · 55
⚖ Quick compare
D
Derek Harper
◆ Rated
Dallas Mavericks · #12 · Guard
Derek Harper
Season avg6.9 pts · 1.5 reb · 4.2 ast · .412 fg
Career avg13.3 pts · 2.4 reb · 5.5 ast · .461 fg
IMPACTBalladex Impact 55 — Rotation piece tierINDEXDerek Harper · Dallas MavericksIMPACTBalladex Impact 55 — Rotation piece tierINDEXDerek Harper · Dallas Mavericks
Scouting report

Derek Harper — the report card

Read his whole game at a glance, then dive into any skill. Grades from the DNA model + real production.

C-
Retired standout · guard · Impact 55
Derek Harper is a retired guard best known with the Dallas Mavericks. A steady two-way point guard. Career averages: 13.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 5.5
C
Offense
F
Defense
C
Feel / IQ
C
Playmaking
Average creator
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C+
Scoring
Strong scorer
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D
Rebounding
Below average on the glass
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C-
3PT / spacing
Average spacing
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C-
Perimeter D
Below average on the perimeter
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F
Paint / rim D
Below average at the rim
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C-
Clutch
Average late
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C+
Athleticism
Average tools
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C
Basketball IQ
Reads the game
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C
Durability
Availability
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Act II

Where Derek Harper stands

Live ladders from the Balladex models, and what he's chasing. Rankings recompute nightly from real production, accolades, and search demand.

The laddersmodel · recomputes nightly
Balladex Consensus: Rotation piece tier — a blend of Impact, production and résumé.
Futures & chases
MVP odds
55Impact index
122Star score
Career scoring average13.3 ppg
Seasons in the index16
Accolades on file0
Stat explorer

Derek Harper — every number, three levels deep

Headline → metric → the raw history behind it. Real career data; tracking-only metrics labeled.

C+
Scoring
6.9 PPG
drill in ↓
C
Playmaking
4.2 APG
drill in ↓
D
Rebounding
1.5 RPG
drill in ↓
C-
Shooting
.368 3P%
drill in ↓
The engine

How the model sees Derek Harper

Projection = per-minute rate × projected minutes. Rates are recency- and health-weighted, aged along a per-stat curve, and adjusted for live usage/role. No black box — every number shows its work.

Projected 1999-00  72% confidence
6.3
pts
4.5–8.1
1.4
reb
0.6–2.2
4.3
ast
3.5–5.1
23.8
min
proj
57
gp
health
.427
fg%
~base
.359
3p%
~base
Bands widen as confidence drops. Derived live from the real 16-season history below.
What moves the points line vs last season
Last season 6.9 → projected 6.3 PPG
Minutes / role
-0.3
Development (his trend)
-0.4
Age curve
+0.0
Live context
+0.1
Net vs last season-0.6 PPG
Everything it reads
📊
16 seasons of per-minute rates
every box line, minutes-normalized
real
Recency × games-played weight
recent, healthy seasons anchor the baseline
auto
📈
Weighted least-squares trend
his own trajectory, read season over season
+dev
🕰
Per-stat aging curves
age — — applied per stat
curve
🔌
Live role context
usage & role shifts fold in when the feed is present
+ctx
🏥
Durability signal
GP last 3: 75 / 66 / 45 → games & confidence
health
The real history it trains onsource: Basketball-Reference · verified

Derek Harper career stats, season by season

Career stats by season
SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
1983-848220.95.72.12.9.443.115
1984-858227.09.62.44.4.520.344
1985-867927.212.22.95.3.534.235
1986-877733.216.02.67.9.501.358
1987-888237.017.03.07.7.459.313
1988-898136.617.32.87.0.477.356
1989-908236.718.03.07.4.488.371
1990-917737.419.73.07.1.467.362
1991-926534.617.72.65.7.443.312
1992-936234.018.22.05.4.419.393
1993-94 (Dallas/New York)8226.99.61.74.1.407.360
1994-958034.011.52.45.7.446.363
1995-968235.314.02.54.3.464.372
1996-977529.510.01.84.3.444.341
1997-986626.78.61.63.5.417.360
1998-994524.96.91.54.2.412.368
Career119931.513.32.45.5
Source: Basketball-Reference. Backtested against completed player-seasons in the index. The same engine powers Tonight's projection, EraLab, and the role simulator — one model, asked different questions. Illustrative.
Act III

The Lab

Every number, live and interactive. Real career data; models labeled.

Gold = MVP / Championship season · hover any bar. Real per-game data; per-36 & totals derived.
EraLab · the stat time machinenovel
Re-express a season in today's pace-and-space.
raw PPG
in 2026 pace
why
Scoring map · clickable zonesShotChart
Team-tinted. Modeled where tracking data is absent.
Role simulatorpowered by GM engine
Change the roster around him — his projection updates live.
Projected line shifts to — usage , assists rise as primary initiator. Title odds . Illustrative.
Context

Are the Dallas Mavericks built to win?

Team projection rolled up from the roster + last-season baselines — and what it means for his role.

28–54proj record
#12conf seed
-5.1net rtg
110.4off rtg
115.4def rtg
1%playoff odds
Roster delta · what changed
Aggressive hedge & help — Hedges hard on ball screens and rotates aggressive help from the weak side. Core trending improving. Defensive anchors: Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II.
How his role moves
Projected 28–54, 12th in the West. Real team projection from the roster + last-season baselines. His usage, minutes and creation load move with roster health.
Balladex Impact
55 of 99
Rotation piece tier.
Rarity
◆ Rated
Collectible tier.
Résumé
0 accolades
Career honors on file.
Act IV

The Ballad of Derek Harper

Birth to now — the making of a legend, narrated and scored.

Dallas Mavericks

Turning pro

Drafted 1983 as a Guard.

true

Derek Harper is a retired NBA guard. A steady two-way point guard.

Chapter

He averaged 13.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists over his career.

Where things stand

A retired guard and Dallas Mavericks name.

Harper's story
The documentary, narrated

Off the court

Measurables ESPN
Height
6' 4"
Weight
206 lbs
College
Illinois
Experience
16th Season
NBA debut
1983
Draft
1983
Jersey
#12
Career

A steady two-way point guard.

The person

A retired guard and Dallas Mavericks name.

Retired
Dallas Mavericks
Standout
Verified profiles & sources
FAQ

Derek Harper — frequently asked

The questions people ask most about Derek Harper, answered.

What were Derek Harper's career averages?
Derek Harper averaged 13.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.
Is Derek Harper in the Hall of Fame?
Derek Harper is a retired guard and a notable pro, though not currently a Hall of Fame inductee.
Derek Harper career stats & accolades are real, and team projections and recent-game home/away splits are computed from real production. DNA ratings, grades, tonight's projection, ladders, live win probability and simulator outputs are Balladex model output. Not affiliated with the NBA.
✦ Companion
Ask about Derek Harper

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