Orlando Magic Starting Five Breakdown: Tobias Harris
By Luke Duffy
The Reality
We may be about to witness more of the same from Harris. Now that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The Magic averaged 95.7 points per contest last year, good for 25th in the league. Harris will continue to grow as an offensive player, especially playing alongside an Elfrid Payton who will be one year older and have a better understanding of how and when to feed Harris the ball.
Defensively he just may never be a difference maker, and where he could come in for some scrutiny then is if this team doesn’t make the big defensive leap as a team that many expect with Skiles at the helm.
That wouldn’t be on the shoulders of just Harris, but with both Payton and Oladipo always at least trying on that end, it may look to the naked eye that Harris doesn’t care about getting stops.
This in turn would feed into the notion that, because he got paid, he’s eased off on his development. All unfair accusations, and something that may not happen, but worth keeping an eye out for. Harris has long term security now, so coasting through the third game in four nights away from home could become a danger, not that Skiles would allow that to happen.
An All-Star level player he is not, and it’s hard to see that changing this season. It’ll be interesting to see how he deals with this, despite the fact he’s making more serious money now.
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