When analysts discuss the Pistons’ biggest weakness, they often turn to Detroit’s lack of a secondary scorer. However, Tobias Harris has filled that role brilliantly so far in the playoffs and is making doubters look foolish. Like Cade Cunningham, he’s been a very positive force on both ends that’s helping to drive the Pistons’ success.
Tobias Harris has played his part perfectlyÂ
After an electric performance to end the first round, Harris followed up with yet another 20-point outing in Game 1 against the Cavaliers. That’s now 6 straight games with at least 20 points for him, which has provided a nice floor for the Pistons offense. Harris’ consistent scoring and self-creation has given the Pistons flexibility to experiment with strategic adjustments in other positions around him.
Even when the Pistons roll out a very defensively-oriented lineup, they can still rely on Harris to get his points in the post and midrange. Harris has turned into a sneaky mismatch problem for many teams at this point in his career. He’s too big for many wings, and too quick for most bigs.
The Magic actually had better options to guard Harris with their multiple talented wing defenders. Conversely, he might be able to exploit Cleveland’s defensive weaknesses by backing down smaller defenders or blowing by big men. The Cavaliers often only have one elite wing defender on the court at a time, and his attention will often be occupied by Cade Cunningham instead - that leaves Harris an advantage that he must attack.
The Pistons playoff offense is a unique situation
Harris still has a huge weakness in his offensive game that would ordinarily be a massive detriment in today’s NBA: his 3-point shooting. In this year’s playoffs, he is hitting just 28% of his threes. This includes many wide-open looks generated by Cunningham.
But the Pistons’ defense and physicality allows them to buck conventional modern trends. In Detroit’s playoff games, scores and shooting percentages often look like they’re from the early 2000s because they have such a strong defense and such a flawed offense.Â
Harris may not be a perfect complementary power forward because of his shooting woes, but his scoring still has tremendous value because it remains constant despite the Pistons’ other offensive struggles. And Detroit’s incredible defense allows them to get by without needing the most efficient offense from Harris or others.
It’s true that Harris likely wouldn’t be able to succeed as a second option on most championship contenders in today’s league. But he’s actually a perfect fit on the Pistons, who rely on him to make tough shots and play good defense. And everyone needs to stop acting like he’s a huge weakness for Detroit’s title hopes.
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