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CAMDEN, NJ—Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris has had to make a ton of adjustments throughout his time with the Sixers. The veteran forward has played different roles in the offense, from being the No. 2 option to having to be a floor spacer, and now he’s the No. 4 option.
Now, with James Harden injured, Harris has to adjust again. Initially, the veteran from Tennessee was going to be a catch-and-shoot guy on the offensive end, which is what he was drafted for, but now he needs to be one of the catalysts on the offensive end again.
To start the season, Harris is averaging 14.4 points, shooting 49.5% on 5.6 attempts per game and 44.6% from deep. He revealed that he changed his shooting mechanics to be more efficient on the floor.
“Me and my coach made a bunch of, we call it calibration type stuff. So the stopwatch, the .5, the .6, things of that nature make sure we get those views in time. One of the things we saw was, even last year, I was shooting in the gym, and the shooting wasn’t coming into the game very quickly. So there’s a lot of adjustments, a lot of ball height adjustments, and a lot of footwork that goes into this kind of thing, so it’s still pretty good for me. It’s probably the best experience of my career for my jumper and exploring the floor. Last night, I ended up shooting a pin-down 3, which was huge for me because I haven’t shot many in my career. So I’m finding ways in this role to be the best player I can be.
“I learned a lot from doing it and shooting it, honestly, eight years ago, nine, 10 years ago, but better late than never, right? But sometimes it’s different, but I’ve seen results and I feel the rhythm of everything that’s helping me.
“Take the right form and evolve to present the situation. Sometimes it’s a spacer on the floor. Obviously, at times it’s limited play calls, but you find other ways to adapt, I talked about last year to be able to catch and shoot and shoot at a faster, more efficient rate, it took me a while to get there, but finding ways to be a contributor there, no matter the sample size, and now obviously in these moments, More play calls, more production, more involvement on the offensive end, same mentality to be sharp, be smart. , be aggressive.
“I pride myself on being a smart player who can’t be seen enough, but the biggest thing for me is always the right game. When I go out there on the floor, even if guys are out, it’s an opportunity to encourage other guys to be aggressive and jump and move that ball so we can create more looks in the third and fourth quarter, the floor is open so you can get those drives and wide-open 3-point shots. I’ve always prided myself on being a great team basketball player on offense in the halfcourt. So that’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
“George Gervin once told me that he always talked about efficiency. He always prided himself on shooting 50%, and when I was a kid, he told me that was something that always stuck with me. If you’re going to take these shots, you’ve got to shoot efficiently. Season-two with efficiency in 2-point range “I’m aiming for that on a season-by-season basis. Obviously, the 3-point range that you can shoot in the 40s and high 40s is pretty good for a 3-point shooter anywhere in the 40s. So take the look, I think, big deal. These are the things that we practice.” It’s everyday looks, without defense, I’m trying to shoot 70%, right? And as the defense continues over the course of the game, you try to get those looks and you know you can do that. So I practice those things.”
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