Philadelphia 76ers: For one night, Tobias Harris lived up to his contract

Tobias  Harris gave the Philadelphia 76ers exactly what they needed in Saturday’s win over Detroit.

The Philadelphia 76ers unloaded $180 million to retain Tobias Harris‘ services this summer. It was a move met with immense scrutiny, and for good reason. Even those who view Harris as a borderline top-30 player struggle to claim $180 million as a fair estimate of his value.

When placed in context, though, the Sixers had one summer of max cap space available, and the trade for Harris was meant to lock up his bird rights. If Philadelphia didn’t offer Harris in the max ballpark, he would have left for nothing and the Sixers, Al Horford or no Al Horford, would have been in a tougher spot.

Harris fits the Sixers impeccably on paper. It didn’t quite jive last season, but with a summer of chemistry-building and a new roster in tact, things are looking up. Harris, regarded as an elite shooter and a skilled pick-and-roll scorer, should find a comfortable home in Brett Brown’s offense.

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An inherently flawed player, I’m not sure Harris ever reaches the $180 million threshold in terms of value in a vacuum. He’s a good, but not great, defender who struggles against quick-twitch athletes. He’s also a basic, run-of-the-mill playmaker who doesn’t actively benefit teammates as a passer.

Those flaws aside, a return to form as a shooter would establish Harris as a key cog in the Sixers’ rotation. He’s the best shooter on the roster by a wide margin, and his 42.6 percent clip over 87 games as a Clipper played a big role in Elton Brand‘s decision to pull the trigger in February.

Through two games, the Sixers look the part of a contender. There’s more than enough size and shooting to go around, and that will lead to more wins than losses. With that said, the stark lack of shooting — especially in the starting five — remains a concern. In order for Philadelphia to reach its peak, Harris needs to light up the 3-point arc.

With a revised system and new personnel, there should be no hesitation. Harris should freely launch open 3s and, when the timing is right, contested ones. He is the 3-point fulcrum on offense — the counterbalance to the strong interior gusto of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

Harris gave fans a prime example of his value in Saturday’s win over Detroit. As Embiid watched from the sidelines, Harris scored 16 points in a momentum-swinging third quarter, which sparked a come-back win. He ended the night with 29 points on 4-for-6 shooting from deep.

It was arguably Harris’ best game in a Sixers uniform. He was comfortable, confident, and, most importantly, was able to carry the offense in an important stretch. As Philadelphia’s most gifted perimeter scorer, Harris will need to have more games in a leadership role offensively.

One could, of course, note the situational aspect of Harris’ explosion. It came in a game without Embiid, who drastically changes the pace and style of the offense. That also meant Harris was slotted as a power forward, which many consider his natural position. I would argue, however, that carries more weight defensively than offensively when it comes to Harris.

Harris has posted averages of 22.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists on .615/.545/.750 shooting splits through two games. If he can continue his assertive, sweet-shooting ways in the presence of Embiid, the Sixers’ title aspirations are cemented. He’s the swing player in the starting five. If the Sixers get peak Harris, it’s hard to imagine an Eastern Conference team besting Philadelphia when healthy.