Philadelphia 76ers: Tobias Harris could learn from Carmelo Anthony

After some initial struggles, the Philadelphia 76ers should look to Carmelo Anthony as a blueprint for how to optimize Tobias Harris’ offensive gifts – yes, seriously.

After an ugly streak of 23 straight missed 3 pointers, Tobias Harris finally returned to form in the Philadelphia 76ers eventual overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In a game marred by turnovers, personal fouls, and just plain old sloppy play all around, the Sixers inefficiencies were on full display, and yet, for the first time since November 8th, the team as a whole shot above 40 percent from beyond the arc.

Truly the 76ers fifth loss of the season was the best of time and the worst of times, but wrapped in an ugly overtime outing may have been a prime example of how to use Harris to his fullest potential as an offensive weapon.

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You see, through the first few weeks of the season, Harris has been asked to do a lot of things that are a bit outside of his comfort zone, like taking last-second contested 3s or passing up mid-range shots for drives into the paint, and for the most part, the results have been about what you’d expect: Bad.

While it would be ideal for Harris to one day take up the mantle thrown down by Jimmy Butler and develop into the 76ers’ certified closer – and fourth quarter primary ball handler – that hasn’t been Harris’ game through the first eight(!?) years of his professional career, and at the tender age of 27, it probably never will be.

No, if Harris is going to succeed as the Sixers’ third star, he needs to learn a thing or two from the player he is so often compared to on Twitter: Carmelo Anthony.

That’s right, Carmelo Anthony, the 35-year-old forward who just signed a non-guaranteed contract to join the Portland Trail Blazers after a year away from professional basketball can teach Harris a thing or two about the game.

And no, it’s not only in a ‘cautionary tale’ sort of way.

You see, in his prime Melo was an absolute monster on the offensive end of the court – averaging more than 20 points a game for 16 straight seasons. While his game was never the most forward-facing, as Anthony remained committed to his unique brand of mid-range wizardry deep into the Splash Brothers-era, he rode that wave to 10 All-Star game appearances, six stinks on an All-NBA team and more likely than not a first-ballot trip to the Hall of Fame.

But for whatever reason – call his pride, jealousy, or a lack of foresight – Melo never quite developed into a competent shooter from beyond the arc.

Despite the legend of ‘Olympics Melo’ – a player who put his ego aside and became a legitimate terror as a spot-up shooter – Anthony failed to live up to his designation as the third member of the Thunder’s Big 3, and was unceremoniously released to save cash after the worst statistical full season of his career – and maybe life.

Anthony’s inability to fill a role he had actively avoided for near two decades, when coupled with some genuinely horrible effort on the defensive end of the court, lead to his tenure with the Houston Rockets lasting all of 10 games in the fall of 2018, and very much almost ended his career.

But what, you ask, does this have to do with Harris and the Sixers? A lot actually.

Now I’m not suggesting that Harris should pull a Melo and only hoist up mid-range bombs, but maybe he too has been placed in a situation that feels a bit uncomfortable. After spending a decade as one of the league’s premier outside shooters from the power forward position, maybe Harris has to acclimate himself to playing small forward in a supersized starting five that demands he creates offense not only for himself but for the players around him.

Josh Richardson also struggled through the first 10 or so games of the season before seemingly putting it all together over the last few games – maybe this new style of defense-first, throwback basketball just takes some time to get used to?

By forcing tough shots, passing up comfortable looks, and just playing the game with a noticeable rigidity, Harris has lost the looseness that made him such a productive player with the Los Angeles Clippers – at least until a mono e mono showdown against ex-teammate Danilo Gallinari and the Thunder seemingly shook him out of his slump.

Next. The Philadelphia 76ers could seriously use a player like D.J. Augustin. dark

Whether Tobias Harris is a victim of elevated expectations, a cold shot, or a poor fit at a new position in a new scheme remains to be seen, but if Brett Brown is going to get the most out of his $180 million man, it may be wise to let him play to his strengths and avoid the growing pains of forcing a square peg into a round hole. Elton Brand traded a boatload of assets to acquire the 6-foot-8 combo forward because of his elite spot-up shooting, why not put him in the best position to succeed – at least in the short-term?