Donnell Harvey played briefly with the Florida Gators, briefly with the Dallas Mavericks, briefly with the Denver Nuggets and briefly with the Orlando Magic this preseason. So it's curious when Magic Coach Doc Rivers declares that this Harvey character -- if he really does indeed exist -- might start Wednesday night against the New York Knicks. This, reportedly, is the same Harvey whose career with the Knicks was so brief that he didn't even play a game for them. The Knicks drafted Harvey out of Florida on draft night of 2000 and traded his rights to the Mavs, who traded him after 18 games to the Nuggets. He left Denver after last season as a free agent and signed with the Magic -- or so the story goes. Harvey, 6 feet 8 and 220 pounds, largely has been a rumor to Magic fans. He doubled over in the first exhibition game at Dallas after pulling an abdominal muscle. He re-aggravated it five games later in Memphis, Tenn. He played in just four games, averaging 14.5 minutes, 2.5 points and three rebounds per game. The Magic faithful saw more of Keith Bogans. Feeling healthier after participating in just a half-dozen practices, Harvey was just as stunned to learn Sunday that Rivers might start him in the season opener. He would replace rookie forward Britton Johnsen. "I've kind of been in and out. I'm trying to get back into game shape," Harvey said. "I'm going to work hard to help our team win ballgames. I really don't look at lineups. I just look at the score at the end of games." Rivers doesn't need to see a lot of Harvey to know what he can do. The Magic signed him to rebound and play defense, hopefully shoring up the Magic's weakest areas. The Magic have more than enough scorers, and Harvey doesn't need the ball to play. He's never had a giant ego to feed, being a small-town guy from the backwoods of Georgia. "That's the type player I am," said Harvey, who left the Gators after helping them reach the 2000 NCAA title game. "If Doc thinks that's what I bring to the table, then that's what I'm going to do." Harvey would love to make the Magic his permanent NBA home. He's relatively close to his hometown of tiny Shellman, Ga., where his parents, grandparents and other relatives live. The town's population is 1,166, sort of a Mayberry RFD. "Everybody knows each other. You feel safe. . . . don't have to lock your stuff up," he said. " I was born and raised there. They're kind of still back in the '70s. They haven't caught up with the times yet." Harvey says there are a few stop signs, a convenience store and a post office. And there definitely is no fax machine. "No Kinkos," he said. Harvey had to drive to Atlanta with his signed contract and fax it to Orlando from his former Amateur Athletic Union coach's home. Now Harvey's here. Rivers is sure fans will notice. The first thing that Rivers said after Sunday's practice was, "Donnell Harvey was phenomenal today." The Magic will take phenomenal from Harvey. They'd take consistent. They'd take healthy. Anything but brief.
