5 reasons for the Sixers’ recent struggles

5 reasons for the Sixers’ recent struggles: Tobias Harris’ bad habits

Tobias Harris will never be a seamless fit in Philadelphia. Especially not with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey (and/or Ben Simmons), all of whom require quick decision-makers and high-volume 3-point shooters around them. Harris checks a lot of boxes on paper, and don’t get me wrong — he’s a talented and helpful basketball player. But, when push comes to shove, it’s hard to look past his core flaws and cap-smothering contract.

Those flaws have been particularly noticeable of late, with Harris struggling to regain his rhythm post-COVID. That’s all there really is to say about it. Post-COVID. Harris deserves time to recalibrate, and by the All-Star break, I’d wager money that the fan sentiment around him is much sweeter than it is now.

Even so, Harris does have some core, foundational flaws that make it difficult to fully embrace him as the Sixers’ third star, let alone the No. 2 next to Embiid. At the center of his issues is his slow processing speed. Harris just doesn’t read defenses well, which leads to a varied array of botched possessions (like the last play in Wednesday’s one-point loss to Boston). Harris too often gets tunnel vision, or simply fails to recognize the obvious open teammate. He over-dribbles, passes up clean looks from 3, and is constantly a half-second behind on making the right decision with the ball.

Embiid’s offensive style is such that slow processors make it difficult to maximize his presence. Embiid will keep chugging along regardless, but Harris’ inexplicable post-ups on top of Embiid’s post-ups (some of which can be attributed to coaching, again) are just the tip of the iceberg. The Sixers cannot have a gun-shy second star who mucks up the offense. The more quick, decisive actions from Harris, the better.