Philadelphia 76ers 2021-22 season in review: Tobias Harris
When it comes to Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris, the biggest thing that comes to everybody’s mind is that contract. The versatile do-it-all forward signed a 5-year $180 million deal in the 2019 offseason and he hasn’t really shown anything that he is worth that max contract.
However, that does not mean he isn’t a good player. When once puts Harris in the right role, he can flourish.
The biggest example of this was the 2021-22 season. Looking to build off a very strong showing in the previous season, Harris got off to a bit of a slow start to the season amid the Ben Simmons drama and not having a true point guard to set him up on the offensive end. He was also asked to handle the ball more and his life got easier with the arrival of James Harden midseason.
Let’s take a closer look at the year Harris had in the 2021-22 season.
Harris' 2021-22 season averages
17.2 points
6.8 rebounds
3.5 assists
0.6 steals
0.6 blocks
48.2% field goal percentage
36.7% 3-point field goal percentage
84.2% free-throw percentage
Season highlights
Harris’ season production can be divided in half. Before the All-Star break, Harris was asked to do a lot in terms of sometimes initiating the offense and he didn’t have a point guard who could set him up on that end of the floor. Therefore, he shot only 34.5% from deep and was asked to do a bit too much.
Once Harden arrived after the All-Star break, Harris morphed into an elite 3-point shooter since he had somebody who could set him up. He shot 40% from deep with Harden and Harris was able to settle and adapt to his new role. He essentially became the No. 4 option behind Harden, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey, but it was a role he was comfortable with out on the floor.
Harris in the playoffs
Harris had a solid playoff run as a consistent contributor averaging 16.9 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 38.6% from deep. He was terrific in Round 1 against the Toronto Raptors as he shot 43.3% from deep in the series while playing tough defense on Toronto star Pascal Siakam. It was a performance that showed how valuable Harris can be.
In Round 2 with the Miami Heat, Harris’ numbers dipped across the board, but he still provided some tough defense on Heat star Jimmy Butler. Unfortunately for Harris and the Sixers, Butler just knows how to make tough shots and that was the difference in that series. Nonetheless, Harris was a player the Sixers could count on during the playoff run.
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