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They say that the only constant in life is change.
You do not have to tell Tobias Harris. Harris played for five teams in eight seasons. The shift in the Sixers' lineup this summer does not bother him much.
The most important change for the striker is something he has been craving for years: an opportunity for stability and, as Mike Scott would say, "take money out".
He now has this after signing a five-year contract worth $ 180 million. This is the richest deal in the history of the Sixers franchise. This causes expectations for Harris and the Sixers. The team relies on the 27-year-old to continue his NBA climb and help him achieve his championship aspirations.
And Harris believes he is ready to accept this challenge.
Friday's press conference hosted Al Horford, Josh Richardson, Kyle O'Quinn and Raul Neto, as well as the return of Harris and James Ennis. Harris's role on the ground has become an important topic.
When Harris arrived from the Clippers, he found himself in a situation where Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and JJ Redick were established and Brett Brown was still trying to figure out how to use Jimmy Butler. With Butler in Miami and Redick in New Orleans, the hierarchy has changed.
It was probably not fair to expect Harris to fit in perfectly in just 27 regular-season games – many without a healthy Embiid – but he'll have a whole season and a training camp for play a bigger role.
I know that last year when you came to a trade, with the talent level of this group, it obviously had to make sacrifices for the unit, "Harris said. "But I know my game, I know how I continue to improve from year to year and I plan to go into next year with this type of energy, this type of fire for improve my game and show different parts of my game. Obviously, I am more often with the ball in my hands in different situations and I am ready to do it. I have worked all summer to prepare for this job, just to help our team grow and progress further than we were last year and to fight for a championship. That's the only thing that concerns me.
The idea of giving Harris a maximum contract – although it took $ 10 million below the maximum – was not necessarily obvious. He was never a star player and last season was only the second time in the playoffs and the first time his team had progressed beyond the first round.
But the Sixers are counting on Harris to continue his trajectory. Last year, it was easily his best season in the NBA. If he had spent all year in the East, he would have probably played his first game of the stars. He scored a career high of 20 points per game and shot just under 40% on three. Elton Brand paid the high price to acquire Harris.
This certainly did not happen as planned for Harris and the Sixers. Harris was inconsistent both in the regular season and in the playoffs, but his playoff performance was particularly tainted by a poor game in the fourth game against the Raptors in which he shot 7 of 23 and 2 of 13. A few more brands and perhaps the Sixers would have returned to Toronto with a 3-1 lead.
Have the coins been made for the Sixers last season?
Not as good as they should have, "Harris said. "We had good little impulses but they were not really consistent for us. I felt like we had pulled as much as we could have done at that time with different types of games, different types of personalities or others. We needed more time. We needed more time, we needed more cohesion. It's something we have now, so we really need to maximize that fully.
Butler has been great in the playoffs as a plan maker and clutch maker and Redick has played a crucial role in the Sixers' offense.
But "different types of games" and "personalities" should help Harris to flourish. Replacing Butler and Redick with Horford and Richardson will probably help move the ball, which Harris has said since arriving in Philadelphia with which he has prospered.
Sometimes, towards the end of the season, Harris committed the offense on occasion. He demonstrated his ability to run the pick-and-roll as the ball handler – something Brown has never run much, but has done with Butler. Harris could also play a bit of the two-man game with Embiid. Embiid and Redick were deadly using dribble transfers. If Harris pulls the level he did in Los Angeles, running with Embiid could be just as deadly.
Harris is ready to assume a role similar to Butler, but also sees an opportunity for his teammates to shine in the clutches.
Quite often, we looked for Jimmy to make a very good screen and put the ball in his hands, "said Harris. "I'm the best with the ball in my hands for a few years now. I really think that I am this person with the ball in my hands. I also consider ourselves a team. I think if a guy does it or there is an imbalance, we can excel in this area. That's why I really work for this type of moment and opportunity.
So now he has stability. He secured the bag, as the children say. He is also interested in the role of one of the focal points of the team, offensively.
There is certainly additional pressure, but in Harris's case, the change is good.
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