Tobias Harris evaluates season for Sixers, reason for falling to Knicks
May 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) reacts in front of New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) after his dunk during the second half of game six of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers have a lot to figure out following a Round 1 loss to the New York Knicks. They will continue to evaluate where they stand and how they are going to move forward with the offseason.
One player who is a free agent is Tobias Harris. He has likely played his final game in a Sixers uniform, but he had a productive 2023-24 season averaging 17.2 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 48.7% from the floor and 35.3% from deep.
The postseason was a struggle as his numbers dropped to 9.0 points on 43.1% shooting and 33.3% from deep in the series against the Knicks, but he and the team battled as they had all season long.
“It was a tough year just because of the injuries that we had as a group,” Harris explained. “I think that we definitely showed—we have the talent in this locker room and on this team. I wish we would’ve had more time to jell and to see it through and have everyone healthy, but it was an up-and-down year for us as a group. We were composed in this series. We definitely came out game after game and gave our all in this series. Just an unfortunate result.”
The entire series was closely contested. The final point differential was only plus-one in favor of the Knicks. Harris and the Sixers were just unable to come up with those clutch plays down the stretch that New York was consistently able to get.
“Fourth quarter execution,” Harris said of the series loss. “They got what they wanted and was able to convert. Too many second-chance plays for them as well that hurt us down in the fourth. I thought, overall, the way we started the game. We were down, we battled back, and kinda fought through. We just weren’t able to sustain the lead and hold onto it. Give them credit. They made big shots. They made big plays and stuck with it. A tough way to go out.”
It will be interesting to see what happens in free agency with Harris. He will likely not return, but there will be a team out there that will pay for his services.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Tobias Harris evaluates season for Sixers, reason for falling to Knicks