After six long seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, Tobias Harris decided to return to his former employers, the Detroit Pistons, when his contract with the franchise expired. To say Harris had a rollercoaster relationship with the Sixers fan base would be an understatement. The versatile forward enjoyed many explosive games in which he put up impressive numbers; however, when proceedings were not going his way, he would vanish from games — something the Pistons are coming to realise.
Harris arrived in Philadelphia from the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2018-19 season and showcased his ability to contribute in different aspects of the game. The 76ers’ front office made the questionable decision to hand Harris a five-year, $180 million contract, which majorly raised the expectations fans had for this player, and rightly so, given the compensation he was receiving.
The 33-year-old averaged 17.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists over 378 games with the 76ers. On the surface, this seems like a successful stint in the City of Brotherly Love. Nevertheless, due to his inability to affect games in big momentsanimosity grew, leading Harris to opt against signing a new contract with the franchise and move on to pastures new.
Harris’s inconsistencies creep in for the Pistons
Detroit has entered an exciting new era of basketball, with superstar Cade Cunningham leading the team’s assault on the NBA championship. Supplemented with talented, youthful options such as Jalen Duran and Ausar Thompson, the sky is now the limit for the Pistons.
Again, Tobias Harris has proven that he has all the attributes to rack up numbers in any of the stat columns during a matchup. The former 76ers forward has averaged 13.6 points, five rebounds, and 2.4 assists over the 18 games that he has been available for selection.
As a third scoring option on a roster, this points total would suggest that Harris is playing the exact role that is expected of him, hence why his employers currently sit at the summit of the Eastern Conference standings. Although a deeper dive into his season highlights a trend that the Sixers fan base knows all too well.
On five occasions during the 2025-26 campaign, Harris has registered less than ten points, with one of these performances ending with the Pistons wing putting up a total of zero points — missing all five of his field goal attempts.
During the regular season, Harris can afford to have these off nights offensively and the occasional dip in form; these athletes are only human. This will become a more pressing issue when the postseason rolls around. Harris could only average nine points per game, while shooting around 43% of his field-goal attempts throughout the 76ers’ 2023 playoff run.
Tobias Harris is a player who can undoubtedly make a positive contribution to whichever franchise’s jersey he is wearing due to his versatile offensive skill set. Nevertheless, a team that has ambitions to secure a place in the NBA Finals come the end of the regular season cannot carry any passengers — something that Philadelphia 76ers supporters will accuse their former player of being during pivotal moments.
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