Doc Rivers could be a type of Tobias Harris whiskey. Although Tennessee ‘s first-round pick had always been a strong player in the NBA even before he first made a connection with Rivers on the Los Angeles Clippers, he never looked better while and he played under any other NBA head coach.
With the Milwaukee Bucks, Harris averaged four points-per-game shooting 29-percent from three. In Orlando, he put up 15 PPG, draining 30-percent of all three. Then with the Pistons, he made an average of 16 PPG, firing 37-percent from depth.
Finally, during the 2017-2018 season, Harris connected with Rivers in Los Angeles. In 32 games, the veteran added 19 points-per-game and fired a 41-percent best of three at the back end of the 2017-2018 season.
The following year, Harris had a good start with the Clippers as he scored a career high of 20 points-per-game and 43-percent by depth. While the Rivers-Harris connection was tough, the Clippers were unable to bring back the veteran with a major expansion. Harris was willing to bet on himself for even more as he entered the 2019 offseason as a free agent unhindered.
So, the Clippers were looking to get value from it through the trading market. The Philadelphia 76ers hired Harris for the rest of the year. While right during his first spell at Philly, Harris was not the only player.
In 27 games, Harris pitched 18 PPG while sinking just 32-percent of his three points. Realizing that he had been thrown into the fire for a short time, the Sixers did not lose faith in Harris’ ability to recover as he played in LA. So they offered with confidence to the old max contract deal, which he signed.
In his first full season with the 76ers, Harris became one of the most reliable scores in the team. However, he was still unable to reach his Clippers production. In 72 games, Harris accounted for 19 PPG while shooting 36-percent from three. Seeing as if he were now in the max-contract column, Philly expected more out of it.
Brett Brown couldn’t prove it – and he didn’t need to try anymore because he was let go after coaching the Sixers for seven seasons. When the Sixers were looking for a new head coach, there was a lot of emphasis on finding a coach who can increase the talents of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Ironically, Philly landed with the guy who has proven himself to get the most out of the team ‘s third star with Doc Rivers.
This year, Harris is bidding for the All-Star game. It is not clear whether he will do it or not, but his numbers are for a valid case. In 24 games this season, Harris is good for around 20 points-per-game. From outside the arc, his average is back to the Clippers format as he cuts 41-percent of his shots.
Rivers have made it clear ahead of the season that they intend to get Harris back on track. And so far, his strategy is proving to work. Is this just an event? Or do Rivers know how to get the most out of Harris? The veteran recently delved into the topic at a Q&A session with Shaun Powell.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence. The coach knows my game, he knows things I do well. When we were in LA, it was he ‘s the coach that put me in those positions, so he does the same thing here, always pushing me to be better and be sure on the court, be a leader for our team and being my own best night indoors and out. He expects a lot from me and that ‘s what I want as a player. “
Rivers has announced before the season that he wants Harris to make quicker decisions and avoid laziness with the ball. This season, Harris have dribble less and are caught and fired without stopping anymore. There’s still a lot of basketball to play, but 24 games into his first season under Rivers in Philly, the former Clippers coach seems to really know how to help Harris reach their full potential.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_