Tobias Harris continues to struggle for the Philadelphia 76ers, but James Harden and the rest of the Sixers are doing everything they can to get him back to his rhythm.
After scoring just six points on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Harris finished with just 12 points on Sunday against the New York Knicks. While that is a more respectable outcome for the veteran scorer, it didn’t come easy as he scored just two points in three quarters before putting up some big shots in the final period.
Following the contest, Harden opened up on Harris’ poor play and mentioned he has been on the forward’s ear all game long. And he plans to do so consistently until Harris regains his confidence and rhythm back.
“There were opportunities where Tobias had four or five catch-and-shoot opportunities that he passed up and try to dribble past somebody. That’s the thing that I’m gonna stay in his ear about is he got those opportunities. I don’t care if you miss 20 of them, those are shots we need you to take because more times than not, you’re gonna make those shots,” Harden said, per USA Today.
Tobias Harris is clearly having the hardest time adjusting to playing alongside James Harden. Both Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey are thriving with The Beard handling the playmaking duties, with the two of them scoring 20-plus points once again. In fact, JoJo put up a monster 37 points on top of nine rebounds against the ‘Bockers.
Fortunately for the Sixers, Harris’ fourth-quarter showing on Sunday proves he is getting a good grasp on how to play with Harden. It’s a small sample size, but it could be the catalyst he needs to get things going.
That is an important step for the Sixers, especially since they really need Harris to be at his best if they are to compete for a championship.