Sixers: How many players do they have in The Athletic’s top 125?

Sixers included in The Athletic’s top 125: Tobias Harris

RANKING: Tier 4B (57-79)

This is on the lower end of Tobias Harris’ range, even if you pegged him right at 57. Many would rank him higher than that, especially on the heels of his best NBA season to date. Harris elevated his performance considerably under the tutelage of Doc Rivers, to the point where some even thought he was All-Star material.

For the season, Harris averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on .512/.394/.892 shooting splits. He was the No. 2 scorer on the No. 1 seed, and was decimal points away from joining the famed 50/40/90 club. For that reason, Harris is probably undervalued in Partnow’s ranking. He is far from a perfect player, and his postseason fumbles are hard to ignore, but his elite efficiency and significant role deserve more recognition.

Harris is at his best in a defined role, something Rivers made sure to emphasize from day one. Under Brett Brown, Harris was too often asked to carry the halfcourt creation burden, which manifested in contested jumpers and aimless dribbles, rather than straight-line drives and quick-trigger 3s.

Partnow’s logic could, in part, relate to the simple fact that Harris is better in a complementary role. He’s not a go-to scorer. Even so, he’s so effective in that complementary role, that it’s hard to justify keeping him outside the top-50 conversation. Also, the role player argument falls flat on its face when you consider his next Sixers-adjacent ranking…