The biggest detractors and naysayers of the Philadelphia 76ers are definitely having a blast this season. To make matters worse, with the team already limping while bannering a putrid 15-27 record, fans are in no position to defend them. After all, to call any other team as more underwhelming than them would be disingenuous to the highest degree.
As if kismut, nearly ever single player on the 76ers roster took a nosedive, the primary reason behind their horrible record. You would not even need a full hand to count how many players have fared well for the team for the most part. Almost all of their offseason acquisitions have not panned out.
In contrast, some player who left Philadelphia during the offseason seem to be better off with their new clubs. One of the biggest names to move on from the franchise, Tobias Harris, is one veteran who seems to have already gotten the last laugh between him and the franchise.
Tobias Harris gets the last laugh as the 76ers made a poor choice
Most, if not all 76ers fans, rejoiced when the team entirely passed up on re-signing Harris, who was a pretty divisive figure during his rather lengthy stint with the franchise. Thanks to his albatross contract, he became the poster child for overpaid players, and his perennial failure to step up when needed made him a constant subject of criticisms.
With the 76ers eventually going after Paul George, Harris went on to sign with the Detroit Pistons — a move that garnered a lot of flak for both him and the franchise. But as they say, the wheels can turn pretty brutally.
As things currently stand, the Pistons have made a tremendous leap after finishing with the worst record in the league last season, boasting a 23-21 record, seven games ahead of the 76ers.
Harris is posting modest numbers to the tune of 13.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per outing, but he has been a voice of reason and stability for the young Pistons. Meanwhile, George, his counterpart in Philly, is registering 17 marker, 5.8 boards, and 4.9 assists per outing.
At first glance, George is faring better than Harris, but looks can be deceiving. The nine-time All-Star has seen the biggest decline out of any star this season whereas Harris, now signed to a very reasonable deal, is thriving as an auxiliary scorer for Detroit while also playing some of the best defense of his career.
Even worse, Harris is turning in better numbers from last season than George this season, at least from a scoring and shooting standpoint. While this comparison fails to capture the whole story, the 76ers definitely did not expect to see the All-Star subjected to Harris territory standard-wise.
He would never admit to it, but Tobias Harris is probably chuckling a bit seeing how much Paul George has struggled this season. While the Philadelphia 76ers cannot be said to have made a mistake with letting the former go, signing the latter is definitely a blunder, at least for now.