Philadelphia 76ers: Tobias Harris experiment yielding positive results early

Through two games, Tobias Harris and the Philadelphia 76ers seem like a natural fit.

The Philadelphia 76ers swung an unexpectedly major deal at the trade deadline, adding Tobias Harris to a core that already consisted of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler. Through two games, the new mega-lineup seems rather effective.

Harris is averaging 18 points per game, shooting 57.7 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from three-point range. Those percentages will obviously regress to the mean, but Harris’ mean is well above the league average. It hasn’t taken him long to get comfortable with the Sixers’ system.

At 6-foot-9, Harris provides an ideal combination of versatility and shooting at the four spot. He opens up driving lanes for Ben Simmons and unclogs the paint for Joel Embiid, but he’s also an apt shot-creator who adds more dynamism to Brett Brown’s scheme.

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Prior to Harris, the Sixers were starting Wilson Chandler — an effective but overwhelmingly underwhelming player. Defense could hide their weakest link (or best player) on Chandler without risking punishment. That’s not the case with Harris.

In transition, the Sixers have several big guards and J.J. Redick, making it difficult for opposing teams to find the right matchups five out of five times. Simmons, Butler, Harris and Embiid can all get position and exploit ill-equipped defenders in the post.

The offense, to start games and in crunch time, now consists of five viable offensive weapons. Five players who can either create in isolation, work the two-man game, or cause havoc off the ball (Harris and Redick spotting up, Butler and Simmons diving to the rim).

Simply put, teams can no longer functionally ignore the Sixers’ fifth player, whether it’s Chandler or someone else closing games. Harris is an elite shooter, hitting 44 percent of his triples on the season. He makes thing easier for everyone around him.

One stat illustrating Harris’ impact is Redick’s efficiency over the past two games. His 97.6 true shooting percentage is blistering hot. There’s some degree of luck there, but he’s also benefiting from Harris’ versatility, as The Athletic’s Jackson Frank points out.

Harris also gives the Sixers another player who can rebound and push the tempo in transition, allowing Simmons and Butler to fill the lane and hunt mismatches. Add in Embiid’s threat as a trailer and Redick’s constant pressure on the defense, and Harris becomes a vital transition threat for the Sixers’ offense — whether he’s pushing it himself or spreading the floor.

In two games with Harris, the Sixers’ starting lineup boasts a net rating of 22.9 in 30 minutes together, per NBA Stats. Their offensive rating (121.4) and defensive rating (98.6) during that span are both impressive.

The Sixers still have some issues to sift through in the second unit, but there have been clear improvements made with Mike Scott, Boban Marjanovic and James Ennis. Even Furkan Korkmaz has been oddly effective in his limited playing time. Jonathon Simmons should get an opportunity as well.

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With a more capable bench and possibly the most dynamic starting five outside Golden State, it’s tough to deny Philadelphia’s standing as a legitimate Eastern Conference threat. Toronto, Milwaukee and Boston are all formidable opponents, but the Sixers finally feel like a legitimate power in the top-heavy Eastern Conference.