Tobias Harris - long term?

[Aussie Dunker]

Hey guys,

Now that we have a decent sample size of 9 games (which is still super early to make any real predicition) we can somewhat get a feel on Harris and his potential as a lon term fit for this team.

Through his first 9 games as a Piston, he is posting the following averages:

17 ppg
6 rpg
2.5 apg
1 spg
51% FG
43% 3pt

Very impressive / efficient numbers from a guy who sits behind Reggie and Dre on the pecking order - but I have been more impressed by the eye test so far b Harris. He looks great in transition, always looking to get to the rim and attack. He seems to run extremely hard on the fast break, making life easy for Reggie. His finishing ability with his left hand is insane around the basket for a right hander, makes him hard to guard. Attitude seems to be in line with the rest of the squad. Seems to be liked and trusted by team mates and SVG. Defensively he has quick feet, but needs to use his length a bit more and challenge his opponent at the rim more. Seems to be a very willing passer, which might have been my biggest concern.

Perhaps the best stat of all is Detroit's efficiency with the deep ball since Harris' arrival,

Pre Harris - 33.4% 3pt - which is good for 27th in the league

Post Harris - 37.7% 3pt - which is good for 3rd in the league (behind only GSW and Spurs!)


So we have gone from an extremely inefficient 3pt shooting team, one of the worst in the league, to an extremely elite 3pt shooting team, in the 9 game span since Harris has been a Piston.

Small sample size I know, but an extremely promising one that is worth exploring long term in my eyes.

[ZMonkey11]

I definitely love him as a Piston. We got the guy we all thought we should have went after from the beginning.

He brings a nice attitude to the team. Not too playful. A serious demeanor. I like it. Balances Drummond out a bit, I think. We needed a playmaker/finisher like this. I am very happy at our future prospects.

[dd24]

He's definitely an upgrade at that position. We really need the core to get a whole season and training camp with each other now. We're still a mediocre team at this point. We really have to hope that all these young guys can grow and improve together and we can move our way up.

[nuraman00]

He's good, how much should he get in 2019 when his contract is up?

[dd24]

At his age and the way players are getting paid now I would imagine he would get a near max deal. It may be hard to keep him around. Can't pay Dre, KCP, and Reggie all that money. Detroit will have to make a trade at some point. Maybe if Tobias gets moved eventually it frees up room for Stanley to play more. Or possibly they finally move Reggie and look into going after another PG. I guess it all depends on how the guys play next season.