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S.I. Top 100, Detroit Pistons’ Tobias Harris checks in at 77

By Braden Shackelford

Apr 22, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (34) drives to the basket as Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert (4) defends during the second quarter in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 22, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (34) drives to the basket as Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert (4) defends during the second quarter in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tobias Harris of the Detroit Pistons made his way on to S.I.’s top 100 NBA players list this week, checking in at the 77th spot.

Detroit Pistons‘ power forward Tobias Harris looked like a brand new player when he was traded at the deadline from the Orlando Magic.

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With the Pistons, Harris’ scoring jumped up to 16.6 points from 13.7, as did his efficiency, and as a result the Pistons won enough games to make it the the playoffs.

So what did Sports Illustrated have to say about Harris going into 2016-17?

First, a little about how the rankings were compiled.

Via Sports Illustrated:

"Given the wide variety of candidates involved and the deep analytical resources available, no single, definitive criterion was used to form this list. Instead, rankings were assigned based on a fluid combination of subjective assessment and objective data, including: per-game and per-minute statistics, splits, advanced metrics, play-type data and more. This list is an earnest attempt to evaluate each player in a vacuum. As a result, future prospects beyond this season did not play a part in the ranking process. Our sole concern was how players are likely to perform in the coming season alone."

Going into 2016-17, Harris checked in at number 77 of 100, up one spot from a season ago.

"77. Tobias Harris, PF, PistonsOrlando’s decision to dump Tobias Harris, now 24, to Detroit for next to nothing in return last February remains one of the biggest head-scratchers of 2016. Harris (16.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.6 APG after the trade) is well on his way to becoming a quality stretch forward: he has a little pop to his individual offensive game without hijacking the show, he has the makings of a quality catch-and-shoot option to complement Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond, and he should be able to get by on the boards as the NBA continues to downsize. Yes, Harris is probably destined to be a liability on the defensive end, even as he gets closer to his prime, but that’s not necessarily a death sentence for stretch players with his less-than-overwhelming build. Although he’s about to enter his sixth season, Harris still has some unscratched breakout potential: so much of his career was spent playing for teams going nowhere and for coaches that never established the offensive structure to put him in position for success. So far, Detroit has looked like a much better fit. (Last year: No. 78)+ Detroit’s offensive efficiency improved from 105.5 to 108.9 upon his arrival (per NBAWowy.com)+ Harris showed potential to be an excellent spot-up shooter with the Pistons– Detroit’s defensive efficiency slipped from 104.6 to 108.6 upon his arrival (per NBAWowy.com)– His tweener status bites him on both ends of pick-and-roll defense scenarios"

Harris proved to be a perfect compliment to the Pistons’ young core of players. It wouldn’t shock me to see Harris reach even higher scoring and rebounding levels this season, while maintaining his efficiency.

As for the rankings, 77th overall feels a bit cautious to me. I could see a scenario play out where Harris scores close to 20 points per game this season on a team that could possibly reach 50 wins this season.

Next: Reggie Jackson is impressed with offseason additions by the Pistons

What do you guys think?

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