Philadelphia 76ers: Tobias Harris is the leader Philly needs right now

Is Tobias Harris the leader the Philadelphia 76ers have been missing?

Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris is a man of many talents.

He’s a 20 point a game scorer, great shooter, and a willing passer. His 6.8 rebounds a game ranks fourth on the team, his 34.5 minutes per game ranks second behind only Ben Simmons, and his 16.1 field goal attempts per game ranks first overall, narrowly inching out Joel Embiid by a .2 margin.

But my goodness, who knew he was such a good writer?

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On Tuesday, as our country wades into its second week of protests following the frankly unconscionable death of George Floyd, Harris penned a touching easy on ‘The Players Tribune‘ that beautifully articulates the 28-year-old’s feeling on race relations in our country. It’s a pungent, powerful piece unlike many of the more polished up ‘corporate’ press releases sent out by major organizations like Nike, Netflix, and even our hometown Philadelphia Eagles (more on that here).

Harris’ stress, strife, and struggles are real, and to receive an opportunity to peel back the curtains and see that even a multiple times millionaire – the proud owner of the richest contract in Sixers’ history – oftentimes feels like a second-class citizen in his own town, community, and country is rare.

But this wasn’t a sad plea. No, Harris’ words were powerful. He demanded change and challenged those around him to set their game up and fight together for change.

That, my friends, is what the Philadelphia 76ers have been missing all season long: A leader.

Make no mistake, the Sixers are very much Embiid and Simmons’ team, but neither is a natural leader. Embiid has enough personality to fill out the Wells Fargo Center himself, but his Shaq-like charisma isn’t galvanizing, it’s entertaining. Simmons, by contrast, is a calculating, reserved tactician who sees the court like very few other players in the NBA and can execute an offensive gameplan like a Central Park Chessmaster. This attention to detail makes Simmons one of the better two-way players in the NBA, but very few players seem particularly willing to run through a wall for a soft-spoken skipper.

Even before his essay, Harris looked like a vital cog in the Sixers’ ability to run the table later this summer and compete fully for an NBA Championship, as his playing style and diverse set of skills could glue together the Sixers’ two stars. But now, by humbly putting himself out there for the world to see, I can’t think of a better player to bring this team together over an abbreviated re-training camp and get them ready for action than Harris.

At basically 28-years-old, Harris is the fourth oldest player on this iteration of the Sixers squad, and the team’s second-oldest starter behind only Al Horford, who may not even be a starter when the season resumes. He’s appeared in 170 more games than Simmons and Embiid combined and has experience playing for nearly half a dozen different teams since entering the NBA. Harris has been the young guy learning under the likes of Stephen Jackson, a bench role player, and even a top offensive option under a championship-winning coach like Doc Rivers. This experience is invaluable not only for wide-eyed rookies like Matisse Thybulle – the little to Harris’ big – but could be just as useful for players like Simmons and Embiid.

Sure, he’s never been an All-Star, and probably never will, but those accolades don’t necessarily make a leader particularly effective. Doug Pederson only started 17 games over his 10-year NFL career, and he won a Super Bowl before much ‘better’ players like Mike Singletary, Mike Vrabel, and even Jason Garrett.

Next. Tobias Harris deserves a bit more credit. dark

To put it simply, Tobias Harris is an underrated player who will forever be judged harshly for his massive contract (more on that here). Some are going to critique him for his laissez-faire style on the court, his perceived inability to take over games when needed Kobe-style, and his pension for double dribbling at the worst times. But if the Philadelphia 76ers are going to win a World Freakin’ Championship in 2020, his natural leadership and steady-handedness may be the key to getting the season back on track in a hurry.