Detroit Pistons: Top 5 single-season performances of the 2010s
Detroit Pistons best single-season performance of the 2010s #5
2016-17 Tobias Harris
Heading into the 2016-17 season, expectations were high for the Detroit Pistons. The team was coming off of the its first playoff appearance of the decade. Most expected Detroit to build off of the previous season’s success, but the Pistons would ultimately fall short of a repeat post-season appearance.
Detroit finished in 10th place in the Eastern Conference in 2016-17. Their win total fell to 37-45. The season was not quite the improvement most people expected from the team.
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Most of Detroit’s returning roster took a step back from the previous season. Reggie Jackson battled injuries and was limited to just 52 games. Andre Drummond saw his stats fall across the board.
One of the few bright spots for the Pistons that season was Tobias Harris.
The then 24-year-old Harris was the leading scorer for Detroit during the 2016-17 season. Harris finished the season averaging 16.1 points per game. The power forward scored 20 points or more 22 times that season as well.
Harris was often one of the few sources of offense for Detroit during the season. He was the only player on the 2016-17 Pistons team who played in all 82 games during the season. He was also third on the team in minutes per game (31.3), while only starting in 48 of his 82 games played.
Detroit did not accomplish much during the 2016-17 season. Despite Harris putting on strong performances all year, the team would fail to finish as a playoff team. The next season, Harris would continue to improve upon his strong play. The prospect of the power forward receiving a lucrative contract extension appeared to be an inevitability. But Van Gundy would include Harris in a trade package that brought Blake Griffin to Detroit midway through the 2017-18 season.