Manny Harris isn’t a guy who relishes moments all that much. Usually, he’ll take a game, or an accomplishment, for what it's worth and move on to the next thing.

So it isn’t a surprise when Harris views playing in the NBA as just “another level of basketball.”

Still, there are moments when the Cleveland Cavaliers rookie says the NBA has been eye-opening.

He guarded Derrick Rose and logged a career-high 21 minutes when Cleveland played against Chicago. And he had a front row seat for LeBron James' much-anticipated return to Cleveland.

“This is my first year playing in the NBA. I’d think NBA arenas were like that every game but, of course, that was something crazy,” Harris said from his seat in the front row of Crisler Arena before Michigan played Bryant last Thursday. “I was a witness to that and I saw it. But it was crazy.

“The atmosphere was crazy.”

In many ways, James' departure from Cleveland created an ideal situation for Harris.

The Cavaliers are a team searching for an identity after James left town. There are minutes available on a young team with a new head coach in Byron Scott. And Cleveland is close enough to his hometown of Detroit that he can visit family and friends on the rare occasions he can slip home.

He feels at home in Cleveland, the team that gave Harris a shot to play after he went undrafted in June’s two-round NBA Draft following a standout career at Michigan.

“The fans embraced me,” Harris said. “I’m still working hard trying to get on the court, to show them what I can do. But me being me, communicating around Cleveland and interacting with the people ... Cleveland fans are starting to like me more and more.”

They haven’t seen much of what Harris can do yet. The rookie has played in 10 games, averaging 10.3 minutes, 3 points and 1.2 rebounds. He admits it is still a learning process as he continues to try to fight his way into the rotation.

There have been highs, like those 21 minutes and six points in an 88-83 loss to Chicago on Dec. 8. And there have been lows, like not playing at all in other games.

Harris had a four-game stretch where he saw double-digit minutes, including the game against Chicago. He didn’t shoot much, but he started to understand the NBA game more.

“I picked up a lot,” Harris said. “Still a little hesitant to do some things because you have to play your role and continue to keep your confidence up at the same time, but it was a great time I had, enjoyed it and feel like I got better through that time.

“But I still got a lot of room to improve.”

Michael Rothstein covers Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.