If Tobias Harris was going to get his payday this summer, he was going to have to put in some work and improve some of the weak points in his game.
Even with Harris able to put up points at a decent clip, he had to learn some efficiency. He had to improve his defense. He had to become a better shooter. The knock on Harris is that he had to provide something other than simply scoring.
That uncertainty may have led to the difference in valuation that ultimately will make Harris a restricted free agent this summer.
Harris bet on himself by turning down whatever off the Magic made and the Magic challenged him to go out and make more than what they were offering. On both counts, Harris appears to be the one that will reap the benefits. He has added significantly to his already strong offensive game.
Through the first 21 games of the season, Harris has appeared to recapture the form that made him so promising throughout his up-and-down tenure with the Magic. He is averaging a team-best 18.3 points per game and shooting a career-best 47.4 percent from the floor. It is in those hidden numbers that have shown where Harris has really improved.
Last year, Tobias Harris struggled from beyond the arc. But that has changed in his contract year. Photo by Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Harris has never been the most efficient scorer. And he certainly has never been a 3-point shooter. But Harris’ expansion of his offensive game has come because he has been able to add a more consistent 3-point shot to his game.
For his career, Harris is shooting 29.8 percent from. He shot 25.4 percent from beyond the arc last year. Early this season though, Harris has improved that mark to 40.5 percent.
That is a huge transformation. His effective field goal percentage has increased from 48.6 percent last year to 50.5 percent this year. His true shooting percentage has gone up from 54.2 percent to 55.7 percent. And his 3-point attempt rate is actually down this year too.
Becoming a better 3-point shooter has made Harris a more efficient scorer and that has helped him expand his game. Harris said he has already noticed teams trying to run him off the 3-point lane, opening up driving lanes for him and his deadly mid-range game.
“I just worked on the 3-ball,” Harris said. “Every spot really. I wanted to make sure I got a lot of corner shots up. I am getting the shots in a rhythm. I know when they are coming to me. We’re getting to be familiar with each other. I’m consistent shooting it. I’m more confident shooting it. It’s been paying off, the hard work.”
The shot chart does not lie either.
Harris is not taking a ton of 3-pointers. That is fine. Harris just needs to be respectable. In most zones, he has been average or better than average. The right corner especially has been friendly for Harris.
Compared to last year, Harris’ 3-point shooting might as well be night and day:
You can see how dramatically Harris has improved from beyond the arc. That right corner seems to be his spot. Although he appears to take most of his 3-pointers from the left corner.
He hit two big ones in the fourth quarter Friday night against the Jazz that helped the Magic hold off the Jazz for a win. They were big shots in big moments and they came from his worst spot on the floor, that left corner. He shot confidently and it is something that has clearly opened his game.
That addition to his offense has made him a better player, so far at least. It has also helped him gain a leadership role with this team too.
“I think one of the main focuses for me, especially this year, was making sure we all play the right type of basketball and that’s team basketball,” Harris said. “I took it upon myself to be the guy who takes that first step with everybody else, whether that be in the first quarter making that extra pass and being patient and trusting it. The coaches have told me over and over again, just keep trusting it and it will come back to you and it’s all going to work itself out. It has been a ripple effect toward everybody.”
Harris’ 1.8 assists per game will not impress anyone. He is not a playmaker in that sense. He usually is able to create for himself. Those 1.8 assists per game come on 3.4 assist opportunities per game. His teammates appear to make the most of his passes. He also averages 0.4 secondary assists per game. Most of his passes, according to NBA.com, go to the point guard.
Harris has a scorer’s mentality.
Harris’ improved rebounding — 8.1 rebounds per game this year and a 21.8 percent defensive rebound rate, his total rebound rate is the same as it was last year at 13.0 percent — has added some more dimensions to his game too though. It has kept him involved and made him a bigger part of the team’s defense, another area he still needs to improve.
“I think a big focus for me is to go out there and get rebounds and get in there and getting in there and helping my team out on the glass,” Harris said. “It gets us going and gets me going offensively and keeps me in the game. I think exerting myself offensive and defensively through the course of a whole game is me becoming a more complete player and doing what I can for my team.”
Harris wants to be a more complete player. He is more than getting there at this point. He might be pricing himself out of the range the Magic want him at. That is fine for Harris. He will make his money by continuing to play at a high level and showing that he can still add to his game and become that complete player.
So far for the Magic, he has delivered.
