The Philadelphia 76ers are a team led by talented star duo Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, but there is another player in that starting lineup who gets a lot of money and he’s a man who has to hurry up when the time calls for it. .
That would be Tobias Harris, the highest paid player on the team. He hadn’t produced to the level the team had expected in the past and the hope is that under new coach Doc Rivers he can return to the player he was with the Los Angeles Clippers.
He had a great night on Saturday, scoring 24 runs on 9-for-14 shots and beating four triples in a 127-112 victory over the Charlotte Hornets at home. It has continued his strong play of late, as he has now scored over 20 points in three consecutive games.
“It’s been great,” beamed Rivers. “You can see it. I think he played once and he actually scored on it, which I almost didn’t want him to do with the ISO he had late in the game, because that’s what we don’t really want, “We love his fast-paced action game. He makes faster decisions. He knows where guys are when he goes, so he’s been deep in actions where we want him.”
He worked hard on both ends of the floor as he also came up with four steals and three blocks on the defensive side. That’s an area he has consistently improved in and worked hard on during his time in Philadelphia and it has not gone unnoticed by his teammates.
“Seeing him do that motivates everyone to continue with their job,” said Simmons, who had his first triple-double of the season. “When Tobias came here defensively, he was not where he is now and has performed it. Now he gets a lot of theft, he gets hands on, he blocks shots, he has made a huge leap from the past year to now defensively. “
Harris will be the X-Factor for this team this season. They already know what the two stars bring to the floor, but Harris has to be the third scorer ahead of them. He has to be the man who can step in and take care of the offensive end to help them thrive.
“On both sides of the ball, offensive and defensive, he was great. He has been a great factor for our team and he will be if we want to win a championship. “
The Sixers will again host the Hornets on Monday to complete the two-game home series.