Tobias Harris will get actual on ‘wrestle’ to reinvent play fashion

Tobias Harris’ willingness to alter his play fashion has earned him monumental respect from the Philadelphia 76ers and their followers. After already signing a max contract and taking part in a sure approach for almost all of his 12-year profession, he has made sizable changes which have made him match extra seamlessly with the present Sixers core.

In an interview with the Rights to Ricky Sanchez podcast, Harris defined that changing his game was tough as a result of it concerned him having the ball approach much less. The Sixers ahead shouldn’t be used to ready to obtain the ball after which having to make a split-second determination on the place to go along with it.

“It was undoubtedly a wrestle as a result of it was like, I’ve had success in my recreation taking part in a particular approach,” Harris mentioned. “Folks say, ‘Describe your recreation. Like, how would you play?’ And for me, it’s only one phrase: circulation. Like, within the circulation of the sport, you may put me ready to put up up, you may put me in pick-and-rolls to create, to come back off. I’ve all the time been very environment friendly within the midrange and whatnot. Catch-and-shoot threes as nicely, with area and with time prior to creating the adjustment.”

Harris defined that he initially wasn’t keen on the thought of simply standing and ready for the ball. However he quickly realized that his typical play fashion may typically decelerate the Sixers offense. He got here to appreciate that spacing the floor for Joel Embiid and James Harden — who he known as among the finest isolation gamers within the league — and getting his photographs round them is finest for everybody.

“My aim this season coming in was to common eight [3-point attempts] a recreation,” Harris mentioned, including that he additionally needed to shoot above 40 p.c. In 31 video games this season, Harris is averaging 16.5 factors whereas taking pictures 49.4 p.c from the sphere and 39.5 p.c from deep on 5.4 makes an attempt. Though his focused makes an attempt are approach quick, he’s taking 41.4 of his discipline targets from deep, which is a career-high. Earlier in the season, with everybody wholesome, he took roughly half of his photographs from past the arc.

When requested if he was completely happy that he made the adjustment, Harris mentioned that he was. “This simply reveals a brand new factor of my recreation, proper? I’ve all the time been any person, no matter you ask of me, I need to do,” he mentioned. The taking pictures enchancment has allowed Harris extra alternatives to get dunks and thus is taking pictures 72.0 p.c on photographs inside three ft of the ring and 56.4 p.c on all twos, each one of the best of his profession. His 1.2 steals per recreation are additionally a career-high.

The Sixers nonetheless should show they’re a real title contender. However Tobias Harris’ willingness to alter his recreation a lot is an important step in the correct path.