The Pistons are getting a lot less from their power forward position now that they replaced Tobias Harris with John Collins in free agency, but the Detroit faithful must at least take some solace in the fact that Harris has yet to suit up this season. Harris is now 34 years old, so his extended break for a calf strain is a worrying sign.
It also would’ve intersected poorly with the Pistons’ notable injury to Jalen Duren. Duren’s absence has already forced the Pistons to rely on new scoring options this season, but also missing their starting power forward (if they brought Harris back) would’ve only made the problem worse.
Injury concerns will be part of Harris’ career now
Harris was remarkably durable during his last two seasons in Detroit. He played an average of 68 games per season, a great mark for a player in his 30s these days. But the Pistons moved on from him for a reason, and his age has a lot to do with that.
Collins isn’t exactly a spring chicken at this point either, since he’s also 29. But Collins was also willing to sign a contract that has a non-guaranteed second year, unlike Harris. With the potential injury concerns to both as they get older, the Pistons preferred to keep optionally with Collins’ flexible deal.
It’s very rare for a player at Harris’ age to make it through entire seasons without some major periods lost to injury. Not even the biggest stars with the best longevity - LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant - can avoid those spells now. The Pistons might’ve factored that risk into their power forward decision over the summer, despite Harris’ great contributions in the last two years.
Moving on from Harris was a longer-term move
Harris was known to be a reliable safety valve for Detroit, but the Pistons wanted to trust their young players to take over creation duties more. Even if it means making some mistakes in the short term, the long-term payoff should be better by growing the young core’s skills rather than overly relying on a 32-year-old.
If anything, the Pistons might still not be doing enough to develop some of their youngest talent. Either way, having Harris on the current team might offer too much temptation to fall back on his postups and bailout shots rather than developing the offense elsewhere.
Combined with his injury risk, especially at a time when so many players around the league are missing games, the Pistons can’t be too upset about losing Harris. Their return on John Collins hasn’t been the best so far, but at least he’s been available in every game.
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