After a disappointing spell in Philly, Tobias Harris has resurfaced as a ‘dependable’ presence for the ascending Pistons
“From Day 1, all he did was pour himself into each and every individual on our team,” said coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
NEW YORK — The Madison Square Garden crowd rumbled in anticipation as Karl-Anthony Towns received the ball near the left block, encouraging the Knicks’ All-Star big man to back down Tobias Harris.
Towns, after all, had just converted a turnaround hook shot over Harris on one second-quarter possession, then had drawn a foul on the Detroit Pistons’ forward the ensuing trip down the floor. But Towns misfired on that next attempt and, eventually, went scoreless on only three shots in the second half.
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff called Harris’s physical defense “phenomenal” after his team’s 100-94 victory Monday night, as part of a schematic shift that has become a significant storyline of this first-round playoff series. The Knicks. though, took a 2-1 lead Thursday night with a 118-116 victory in Detroit.
» READ MORE: Philly native Jalen Duren learning on the fly in first playoff series with upstart Detroit Pistons
It’s also an example of how, after an unceremonious exit from the 76ers, Harris has provided valuable production and leadership for a Pistons team that staged a stunning turnaround to reach the playoffs. Harris totaled 15 points and 13 rebounds in that Game 2 win, after finishing with a team-high 25 points and six rebounds in Game 1.
“Our guys know, whenever they turn around, Tobias has their back,” Bickerstaff said before the series began. “He’s got a personality where he disarms everybody. He doesn’t want anything for himself. …
“From Day 1, all he did was pour himself into each and every individual on our team, and they respect that and they appreciate that. He understands what their journey is after going through it, and he doesn’t hold anything back, because he knows how fortunate he is.
“He just gives and gives and gives. And when you act that way and then produce the way that he’s produced for us in the moment, guys trust him. They respect him. And they lean on him.”
Though also frequently praised by Sixers teammates and coaches for his professionalism and adaptability, Harris drew significant outside criticism during his five-plus seasons with the organization. The bulk of it stemmed from the belief that he underperformed the five-year, $180 million contract signed in 2019.
His final game as a Sixer — when he went scoreless in 29 minutes and attempted only two shots in a season-ending Game 6 home loss to the Knicks — did not quell the vitriol as he entered free agency last summer.
It would have been easy to mock Harris, 32, for returning to Detroit, where he played from 2016 to 2018 before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in the Blake Griffin blockbuster. The Pistons were a horrendous 14-68 in 2023-24, and were on their third coach in three seasons. They had not won a playoff game since 2008.
Harris got his return to Philly out of the way early in the season, facing a large media contingent following the shootaround at the Wells Fargo Center on Oct. 30. He spoke about finding personal growth in “weathering the storm, and finding ways to come through it and out of it in some type of fashion” while with the Sixers.
He also mentioned the team and arena staff who treated him and his family “extremely well every time I step foot in the building.” And about the younger players he mentored such as Tyrese Maxey, who, a few weeks earlier, said he had a phone conversation during training camp with Harris about becoming a resource for rookie guard Jared McCain.
“He did a lot for me, man,” Maxey said of Harris then. “He gave back to me every single day, poured into me every single day since I got drafted. He’s helped me keep the tradition going.”
That night in Philly, Harris finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds to propel the Pistons to their first win of the season. That began Detroit’s dramatic ascension to a 44-38 record and the Eastern Conference’s sixth seed, becoming one of the NBA’s feel-good stories this season.
» READ MORE: Philly’s fingerprints were all over Game 1 of Knicks-Pistons series, including New York’s decisive scoring run
Detroit’s young core is anchored by 23-year-old All-Star guard Cade Cunningham, but Harris has averaged 13.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while signed to a two-year, $52 million contract. Perhaps more important, Harris is part of a veteran group that also includes Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Dennis Schroder with experience inside winning organizations.
Bickerstaff calls Harris “trustworthy and dependable.” Second-year wing Ausar Thompson said that Harris is “very good at reading the vibe of the room, and if people’s heads are down, he makes sure to pick them up quickly.”
After Game 2, Cunningham added that Harris “always brings a sense of calm to us. We know we can always give him the ball and everything settles down.” Big man Jalen Duren, a Sharon Hill native, views Harris “like a big brother.”
“Not only on the court,” Duren added, “but off the court in helping me become a better man.”
Yet the Pistons’ first three playoff games were a reminder that Tobias’ on-court production can be inconsistent.
He scored 22 first-half points in Game 1, but took only three shots during a second half when Detroit surrendered a 21-0 run to blow their eight-point advantage entering the final period. The next day, Bickerstaff said that the Knicks did a good job taking away some of Harris’ opportunities in the post but conceded that as coach, he has “got to do a better job of getting him the ball” in the fourth quarter.
In Game 2, Harris’ offense complemented Cunningham’s 33-point outburst. Harris also guarded up on Towns, forcing him into more contested two-point looks and finishing possessions by grabbing rebounds. But as the Knicks staged another late surge, Harris missed a wide-open corner three-pointer, then lost the ball while fielding the pass before a shot-clock violation. Then, in the final 9.1 seconds, Harris secured one rebound and tapped the ball off another Knicks miss to Duren to help clinch his team’s victory.
In the Game 3 loss on Thursday, Harris scored only two points on 1-for-8 shooting.
Harris said after Game 1 that he was eager to see how his team would respond following that late collapse. He then was pleased that any message sent during their Game 2 victory was “for us internally, to understand that we can.”
Consider that another example of Harris’ veteran presence in his return to Detroit, and his value during this Pistons’ turnaround.
“Every day, just doing what I do,” Harris said. “Helping this group, bringing a winning culture.”
» READ MORE: Which Sixers should stay or go next season?