Orlando Magic Starting Five Breakdown: Tobias Harris
By Luke Duffy
The Expectation
This is a bit of a strange question for Harris and his unique situation. He just got paid, although with the wave of money hitting the NBA through the new television deal the organization secured, his contract is actually on the friendly side for a player of his age (23) and abilities.
He’s not being overpaid to be here, and yet the fans have seen flashes of his potential to know how good he can be on any given night.
But is this guy even a starter? As of now the answer is yes, but his offensive abilities mean he could end up an overpaid sixth man down the line. For now though, being one of the 10 most improved players in the NBA this season is a realistic goal, as is giving more on the defensive end.
His 6.3 rebounds a night last year was second only to Vucevic on this team, and a nifty little bonus for a team already blessed with athletic players in various positions.
His Player Efficiency Rating career average of 16.3 does not set the world alight, and this is something that will also be expected to improve. It’s all well and good putting up career highs in points while chipping in with assists and rebounds as well, but they’re empty stats if this team is out of the playoff picture by Christmas.
For Harris that will be the most important contribution he makes this coming season, having more responsibility for the direction of this team.
Next: Keeping It Real