Tobias Harris Needs To Play Well Tonight, For His Own Sake

The 7th-seeded Sixers host the 8th-seeded Miami Heat tonight in the first round of the NBA Play-In Tournament. It has been a crazy season for the Sixers from start to finish. Don’t forget, James Harden was on the roster for game 1 of the season. We then saw how incredible the team played before Joel Embiid got hurt. We also saw the flip side when he was out. A player that was here from start to finish, and has been since February of 2019, is Tobias Harris.

Harris could be in his final season with the Sixers. His contract is up and he will enter the off-season as an unrestricted free agent. It seems like Daryl Morey is a big fan of Tobias Harris, but who knows what the future holds for the 13 year veteran. Tonight’s game should mean a lot for Harris.

I have talked about my dislike for Tobias Harris the player a lot. I don’t think I am alone when it comes to that. I don’t think he “stinks.” I have said often that he is a 20-point a game scorer on many teams in the NBA, but I don’t think he has been a fit on any Sixers roster that he has been a part of.

Tonight, he could silent his critics for at least one day, but it isn’t just based on how he plays during the game.

When the Sixers were eliminated by the Miami Heat in the 2022 NBA playoffs, Jimmy Butler was “caught” on camera questioning “Tobias Harris Over Me?” as he walked off the court. There was MUCH more to the story than the Sixers just deciding to keep Harris “over” Butler. His quote was misleading, but bottom line, it was said.

If you are Tobias Harris, someone who has been questioned a ton during his time in Philadelphia, you cannot be a ghost on the court tonight against Jimmy Butler. If the game goes poorly for Tobias Harris and the Sixers, this video will circulate across NBA social media platforms all night and all day tomorrow.

I am not asking for Harris to drop 40, but I am asking him to show up which he hasn’t at times in playoff games past. But don’t do it for me, do it for yourself.

Despite a tumultuous season, this Sixers team that Daryl Morey put together might be their best chance to win in a while. If they can get through he Play-In tournament, they have a chance to go deeper than they ever have, especially with a healthy Joel Embiid.

The man behind this roster, Daryl Morey, joined Mid-Days with bob Cooney earlier today.

Despite being the 7-seed, and having to tangle with the the play-in tournament, vibes around the team seem to be high. They enter the playoffs on an 8-game winning streak, thanks mostly to the return of Joel Embiid.

The reigning MVP was playing the best basketball of his career before injuring his meniscus in January. When he went out, the team fell apart. They went from comfortably in the 3-seed, to hanging for their lives. And there was concern Embiid would never return at all.

But with only a few weeks left, Embiid made his triumphant return. Suddenly we saw the team that had people so excited earlier in the season.

All of that said, the Play-In Tournament is tricky. You don't get a series against the Heat, you get 1 game. And Anything can happen in 1 game.

You get some wiggle room, in that if you lose you still get a chance at redemption vs whoever wins the 9-10 game. But even if you win that, it means you get the Celtics in the 1st round, instead of the Knicks. Not exactly ideal.

Morey likes his team's chances though. He joined Bob Cooney, and guest host Amy Fadool, on today's Mid-Day show. What did he say? Does he have any concerns? How far does he think his team can go?