Philadelphia 76ers: Tobias Harris Was Shockingly Bad as Team Loses Series to New York

The final game of the Sixers’ season was a tight 118-115 brawl that saw neither team give the other any quarter. Joel Embiid carried the scoring load with his 39 points, while Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre pitched in with 17 apiece.

However, Harris didn’t even make any dent in the scoring department. In the 29 minutes he was on the floor, the Tennessee product made two shot attempts. He didn’t make either of them.

He finished the game with zero points and only four rebounds and three assists.

His performance was so awful that BroBible’s Garrett Carr didn’t hold back with his criticism towards the veteran:

If Harris played up to even half of that contract, the Sixers probably win the series. It was an incredibly close series, as the Knicks ended up outscoring the Sixers by one point over the six games. Ultimately Harris played like a replacement-level player for much of the series, and the Sixers are off to Cancun.

His regular-season numbers were respectable at 17.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on 48.7% FG and 35.3% 3FG. However, these numbers become terrible when fans are reminded that the team paid him $180 million over five years.

Harris is a reminder of the Sixers’ massive error in 2019

Harris’ time with the Sixers is painful enough, but the fact that things could have gone a bit differently if the team chose to go another direction in the summer of 2019.

Everyone remembers the time the Philadelphia 76ers were choosing between Harris and Jimmy Butler. Both played solidly for Philly, but the team decided to sign Harris to a fat contract and allowed Butler to join the Miami Heat in free agency.

The decision was probably made due to the tensions between Butler and Brett Brown, who was eventually fired in 2020. He also made it clear that he didn’t agree with the decision to hand Harris the bag, and Embiid went short of going vocal with his agreement.

Moreover, Butler has made two Finals appearances as the main man for the Heat. Meanwhile, the Sixers have continued their streak of consecutive early playoff exits in light of his departure.

Tobias Harris probably didn’t want all the smoke on him, and props must be given to him for getting the bag. However, it’s clear that he fleeced the Sixers with the quality of play he’s produced since securing his big contract.