A Couple Thoughts…
We wouldn’t presume to know, but a player successfully adjusting from being the
go-to-guy on one team to one of several talented players on another midway
through an All-Star caliber season couldn’t have been easy.
But that’s how the ultra-professional Tobias Harris made it look.
The centerpiece of the 76ers’ second blockbuster deal of 2018-19, Harris – along
with Boban Marjanovic and Mike Scott – were traded by the LA Clippers a little
more than 24 hours before the February deadline.
Up to that point, Harris was having a career year in respect to his scoring and
shooting, especially on the perimeter. He was also putting up some of his best
rebounding and passing numbers.
That production, coupled with the style of play he brought to the stretch four
position, made him an ideal fit for an already loaded Sixers’ starting lineup
featuring Ben Simmons, JJ Redick, Jimmy Butler, and Joel Embiid.
Simmons, Redick, Butler, and Embiid – already among the league’s best four-man
lineups before the Sixers’ swap – became even more efficient (by about 3.0
points per 100 possession) after Harris joined the fold.
Adding to the impressive nature of the 26-year old’s transition was that amidst
playing with the Sixers’ strong surrounding cast, his output didn’t change
dramatically. He concluded the campaign with his first ever 20-point season,
highest free throw totals (both attempted and made), and a second straight year
with 150-plus 3-pointers.
Not for nothing, the 2011 no. 19 pick reached the playoffs for the second time,
and performed like a postseason veteran. His 22 triples combined between the
first and second rounds ranked second overall on the Sixers’ roster.
Beyond being a terrific match for the Sixers, Harris quickly proved to be a
great ambassador for the franchise, always willing to make himself available for
interviews at practices, shootarounds, or before and after games. More
important, he immediately went to work doing his part to try and make the City
of Philadelphia a better place.
Brett Brown is always good with words, but we felt he especially hit the nail on
the head with a few of the adjectives he used down the stretch of the season to
describe Harris, calling the veteran as a player who competes with “elegance”
and “grace.”
A Big Number
Following the megadeal that brought Harris to the 76ers, the team’s top unit
manufactured a 17.6 net rating, easily the leading mark in the leaguefor
starting groups that logged at least 150 minutes together.
A Quote
“The experience for myself – being with this unit, getting to the second round,
Game 7, and making that type of run – obviously was an awesome experience. In my
career, I haven’t had a postseason run, so for me, it was awesome to be a part
of, and at the same time it just helps you understand what it takes to get to
this type of level, how intense the game gets. It just drives you to be able to
come back better than ever and get further than you did at this point next
year.”
A Mixtape
. Highlights 4 Your Eyes Only 2018/19 @tobias31 Mixtape
pic.twitter.com/KiLfv3aHuw
Player: Tobias Harris
Media Content: https://www.nba.com/sixers/news/2018-19-review-tobias-harris
Media Keywords: NBA, Sports, Philadelphia Sixers, Tobias Harris, Philadelphia
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