Players in the NBA can have their careers defined by a bad season, series, game or even one bad play, which is something that has happened to Tobias Harris in the narrative about him in the playoffs.
That same narrative is popping up again as pundits remind us that Harris “disappears” in the playoffs, as if it is something that has regularly occurred.
Once you get slapped with the playoff choker label, it’s a hard one to shake, ask Harris, who is still hearing this nonsense even though the narrative was never true to begin with.
Tobias Harris in the playoffs
Tobias Harris has played 67 career playoff games over eight different series for the Pistons and 76ers in his career.
In those games, he has averaged 16.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from long range, numbers that are right in line with his career averages.
If anything, Harris has been slightly better in the playoffs, where his rebounding and defense have been better than in the regular season.
Of those eight playoff series, Harris had exactly one bad one in 2023-24, when he averaged just nine points per game and faltered in the deciding game, scoring zero points in a game six against the rival Knicks.
That was enough to make everyone label him as a “playoff choker” when he’s been good in every other playoff series he’s been in, including averaging 21.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game over 12 playoff games for Philly in the 20-21 season, which their fans conveniently forget.
Speaking of Philly fans...
It’s Always Angry in Philadelphia
Philly fans pride themselves on being angry for some reason. Maybe it’s the weather. Maybe it’s the effects of processed cheese running through their veins, but for whatever reason, they are known for booing everyone, often turning on a player several times in one game.
Harris became the scapegoat for one bad playoff series and because he was on a big contract. Those two factors led to the biggest loudmouth fans in the league to keep the playoff choker narrative alive and continue to hate on Harris even after he fled for Detroit. Seriously, I still get messages from these clowns whenever he has a bad game.
It was extra satisfying watching Tobias cook them this season.
I find all of the booing corny, as they should be directing it at their MVP who spends more time on the bench than an old guy who feeds pigeons every day in Fairmount Park. But instead, they choose to take out their frustrations on Harris, a guy who gave them six solid seasons and is by all accounts a great teammate and decent human being.
Harris was great in the playoffs for the Pistons last year, and hopes to do it again in this one, but the playoff choker label will be hard to shed even if he does.
Add us as a preferred source on Google