The Pistons have frequently been forced to rely on Tobias Harris as their secondary scorer this postseason amidst struggles from their All-Star center Jalen Duren. Harris answered the call emphatically to finish Round 1 and start Round 2, but has looked clearly overtasked in the last 3 games. His regression to the mean should come as no surprise, as he's better served in a lesser role with less pressure to support the offense.
Tobias Harris' playoff struggles have returned recently
Harris had 8 straight 20-point games from Game 3 in Round 1 up until Game 3 in Round 2. But since then, he's averaging just 12 points per game in his last 3 outings on abysmal efficiency. In that span, he's shooting 33% from the field and 21% from three.
Earlier in the playoffs, Harris was a great relief valve for the Pistons whenever Cade Cunningham needed some help. His lethal midrange game was a good fit in Detroit's cramped offense and helped bail out many dead-end possessions. But recently he's been shut down by the Cavaliers' talented defenders and his own lack of 3-point shooting.
Throughout this playoff run, he's hitting just 30% of his threes. Many of those attempts have been wide-open looks but Harris has failed to make opposing defenses pay. Although Harris has been excellent scoring from other areas, his poor outside shooting has contributed to the Pistons' general lack of spacing.
The Pistons need to find other scoring solutions
In Game 6 against the Cavaliers, the Pistons found new life through huge scoring games for Duren and some less-heralded role players. Duren beat his playoff scoring average by putting up 15 points, and Daniss Jenkins also poured in the same amount. Throw in 17 more for Paul Reed and 14 for Duncan Robinson off the bench, and you have enough scoring to get a crucial win.
The Pistons know they have to diversify their offense if they want to advance and have even more playoff success. The Cavaliers have obviously been a tough opponent this round, and even greater threats await in later rounds. They can't continue to fall back on Harris' post fadeaways to get out of a pinch.
Hopefully, Game 6 is a sign of things to come and Detroit can find more sustainable offense. They got great self-creation from Duren and ball movement that led to good looks for shooters. The Pistons don't have the most offensive talent but they can generate efficient offense through good sets and passing. Tobias Harris has given them everything he could this postseason, but Detroit must be careful not to demand too much from him in their remaining games.
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