Sixers’ Nick Nurse wants Tobias Harris more involved in offense: ‘He can do a lot of everything’

Nick Nurse appears to be the best coach to unlock Tobias Harris. And that should be great for the 76ers.

“I really think he can do a lot of everything like really well,” Nurse said of the forward. “You know he can drive it, play in the open floor. He can shoot. He can post, score a bit.”

And the Sixers coach wasn’t done.

“He can defend,” Nurse added. “He can be a switchable guy. So that’s a lot of positives.”

Nurse would know.

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Not only has he game-planned against Harris for 10 seasons, he turned Pascal Siakam, a player with a similar skill set, into a two-time All-Star.

You can make a strong argument that Harris was a better player than Siakam before Nurse found a way to utilize the 6-foot-9, 230-pound forward’s versatility the past four seasons in Toronto.

Harris was a versatile first option with the Los Angeles Clippers before being traded to the Sixers on Feb. 6, 2019. Playing alongside Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, Ben Simmons, and JJ Redick, the 6-8, 228-pounder immediately slid to a third or fourth option depending on the situation.

But as one of the top free agents that summer, Harris signed a five-year, $180 million contract to remain a Sixer. He’s received criticism for not living up to the lucrative deal. However, he never really got extended opportunities to show his worth under former coaches Doc Rivers and Brett Brown.

He primarily stood in the corner as a floor spacer until Brown was fired after the 2019-2020 season. Harris started out as a third option under Rivers, but ended up the fourth option behind Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey last season. His job was to space the floor as a catch-and-shooter and defend the other team’s best perimeter player.

Nurse, who spent the past five seasons as the Raptors coach, brings a more free-flowing scheme to the Sixers. So the days of players standing around and watching Embiid and Harden dominate the ball in the two-man game are over.

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Now, if Harris grabs a defensive rebound, he can dribble up the court and get his teammate into sets. Nurse also posts him up on occasion to take advantage of mismatches and to make sure he stays involved. Harris also roams freely on the court instead of standing stationary around the three-point line.

The biggest difference between him and Siakam is that Toronto’s offense runs primarily through the Raptors forward as the team’s best option. Harris plays alongside Embiid, the reigning MVP, and rising star Maxey. (As for Harden, the disgruntled point guard who wants to be traded is away from the team.)

On a more talented team, Harris won’t dominate the ball as much as Siakam is expected to in Toronto. But the Sixer should be more involved than ever before.

“Every day we’re in the lab, working on different looks, different reads, different options,” said Harris, a 13th-year veteran. “And I think this is probably the most excited I’ve been throughout my whole career of a team and a great situation.

“Every day that we come on that court, I’m generally being pushed and coached and excited for the opportunity.”

Nurse wants to make sure Harris stays confident and involved in the offense. The 31-year-old averaged 14.7 points last season. It was his lowest scoring average since 13.7 in 49 games with the Orlando Magic during the 2015-16 season. And his average of 11.4 shot attempts were his lowest since he averaged 11.0 with the Magic that season.

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“I want him taking shots,” Nurse said. “I want him attacking the basket, and I want to make sure I get him a couple post-ups here and there out of some set pieces, things like that. … He’s kind of got to make this a nightly thing. He needs to push [his shots] up toward 20 a game.”

Nurse knows Harris will work hard and do whatever’s needed defensively. He’s developed into one of the Sixers’ best players on that end of the floor.

“I think that’s always a thing like consistency,” Harris said of getting an extended opportunity to display his skills. “You know, knowing exactly the looks you are going to get, the type of actions, how we are going to play as a group. And I know there’ll be more opportunities out there.

“For me, it’s about taking advantage of them, being efficient. At the same time, embracing them.”