With the Tobias Harris complaints piling up, an ex-NBA champion and a Philadelphia native decided to join the list. But he has a different agenda in mind. More along the lines of calling him out for his inefficiency and showing some tough love in the process. Harris has never been a fan favorite in Philly. And that wasn’t completely his fault. The franchise simply chose him over the Heat star Jimmy Butler who left for Miami via a sign-and-trade in 2019.
Since then, the 6’8 forward hasn’t been able to get in the good grace of the Sixers fans. And he has yet to showcase the kind of brilliance the team is expecting from him. With trade rumors picking up speed again, everyone is hoping Harris might show his capability in the playoffs. And Rasheed Wallace is here to speed up the process. In the Underdog show, Sheed & Tyler, the 4x All-Star went on a pretty much expletive-filled encouragement. “I can motherf**kin’ blame Tobias [Harris] with his sh*t though”.
“Yeah, and if you listening, we mad with you too, dog. You gotta step that sh*t the f**k up.” He didn’t even blink when pointing out that Tobias didn’t get a $180 million contract to play subpar. “Yo, you gettin’ all that bread. We need more than 5-12 for 10 points.” When the Sixers signed Harris, he was 26. An age many would consider prime with expectations.
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The franchise was hoping for him to be their go-to scoring option and rise in the ranks like how Embiid or Butler would be. And although he’s been averaging solid numbers, it’s quite clear that Philly is expecting more from him.
"I can motherf**kin' blame Tobias [Harris] with his sh*t though. Yeah, and if you listening, we mad with you too, dog. You gotta step that sh*t the f**k up. Yo, you gettin' all that bread. We need more than 5-12 for 10 points."
Rasheed Wallace’s thoughts on Tobias Harris pic.twitter.com/2PuqNS17U5
— Rasheed Wallace (@SheedAndTyler) April 23, 2024
Tobias Harris is in his fifth year with the 76ers and so far, he has averaged 17.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 378 games. But the one thing that no one can take away from the man is that he has played more than 60 games in his time with the Sixers. That’s a consistent number any team would be happy to have.
Given how injury-riddled Embiid is, had he stepped up in the reigning MVP’s absence, Philly and the rest of the NBA world could have forgotten his past average performances. And now, with his impending free agency, Tobias Harris’ time with the team seems to be coming to an end fast.
Tobias Harris might just reunite with a former team in free agency
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According to the Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Keith Pompey, several NBA executives believe that Harris is likely to sign with the Detroit Pistons in free agency. He had spent almost two and a half seasons with the Pistons after his short stint with Orlando.
While he might not have the best value in the NBA market right now, Detroit is in a position where Tobias’ shooting can be quite helpful. The Pistons have been the bottom feeders in the Eastern Conference for five consecutive seasons. From 2019-20 to 2023-24, they have finished as the 15th-seeded team thrice.
In all his years at Philly, Harris has never gone below 35% from beyond the arc or below 46% from the field. And he is absolutely reliable from the charity stripe, as well. This season, he’s made 2.7 out of 3.0 free throw attempts. But then again, Tobias Harris has the playoffs to change his destiny.
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If he can step up his game in the coming games, there is a higher chance of being a part of a contending team in the future. As for his continued stay with the Sixers, that seems more or less a lost cause.