It's so secret this season has not been kind to Philadelphia 76ers talent Tobias Harris. Between injuries and health and safety protocol, he struggled to get in any rhythm on the court. Constantly being in-and-out of the Sixers lineup has taken a hit on his production as well.
After having a career year where many viewed him as an All-Star last season, Harris has not been that same player thus far. He is currently averaging his lowest point per game since 2016-17 (18.1) while shooting near career-lows from both the field (45.0%) and beyond the arc (28.7%).
Harris has always been someone who prides himself on giving his all on a nightly basis. These recent struggles have certainly taken a toll on him, and we saw proof of this during the 76ers' matchup against the Houston Rockets Monday night.
Unfortunately for Harris, he struggled early offensively, connecting on only three of his first ten shot attempts. As the misses began to pile up, the home crowd grew uneasy. Sixers fans have always been known for letting you know how they feel and began to shower Harris with boos.
After finally getting some shots to fall, the fans did a 180 and cheered on Harris. In the midst of the fans getting back on his side, Harris was seen telling them to stop clapping. A rare break of character for someone who is viewed among his peers as a professional.
Following the blowout victory, players and coaches gave their thoughts on this altercation between player and fans. First up was step-in coach Dan Burke, who was a bit shocked by the situation.
“[Tobias Harris] is maybe, since I've been here, one of the surprise for me. How professional he is and what a genuine, good guy he is. He really leads by example, not very vocal. So when I saw him raise his hands when they were booing, you know… We talked about it at halftime. The only thing that matters is what's in that locker room or who is in that locker room,” said Sixers fill-in coach Dan Burke Burke.
Later on, Joel Embiid also chimed in with his thoughts on the matter. As someone who engages with the fans almost every night, the All-Star center felt the entire thing was blown out of proportion.
“I thought it was nothing…Two years ago, I did the same thing it's whatever. But like I always say, fans are going to be fans. It doesn't matter. We just went on a 15-0 run, and if the other team scores, they're gonna boo. That's Philly. I love it. If you give it, you got to be able to take it. It's all fun. It's nothing special,” said Sixers superstar Joel Embiid.
Embiid put it best when he said fans will be fans. They are always going to express their opinions, both good and bad. Moving forward, Harris just has to do his best to block out the noise.
What frustrates Harris most is nobody wants him to return to form more than him. He knows the caliber of player he is and knows he can be doing more. All Harris can do is trust in himself and the work he puts in behind the scenes to slowly get himself back to the player we saw last season.
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