Tobias Harris is Excited to Reunite With Doc Rivers on Sixers
Playing under a new head coach is nothing new for Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris. After all, the 28-year-old forward has played for four different organizations before eventually landing on his fifth with the Sixers.
Before he came to Philly midway through the 2018-2019 NBA season, Harris played for the Los Angeles Clippers under veteran head coach Doc Rivers.
At the time, Harris was having a career-year in Los Angeles as he averaged 20.9 points-per-game while knocking down nearly 50-percent of his shots from the field and 43-percent of his threes. As he was entering a contract season, the Clippers shopped Harris at the trade deadline.
Considering the Sixers were looking for an additional shooter to add to their starting lineup before a critical playoff run, Philly's front office landed Harris at the 2019 trade deadline. Then, he inked a max contract with the Sixers the following summer.
Since coming to Philly, Harris hasn't quite played as successfully as he did under Rivers before. Now, the veteran forward is excited to not only have an opportunity to come back strong in year three with the 76ers -- but he has the coach who helped him reach new heights working with him in Philly once again.
"I think he's a great coach," Harris said on Friday in regards to Rivers. "I loved my time playing for him in LA. To now be back to being coached by him is exciting. He's a players' coach -- somebody that is really passionate and really knowledgable in this space. He's been doing this for a really long time. You can check his record. His resume for coaching speaks for itself."
Harris knows what Rivers can do for his game as he's experienced playing for the veteran coach before. The 28-year-old forward also knows just what Rivers can do to help this Sixers team reach its potential.
"I know what he brings to the table," Harris claimed. "He's gonna hold us accountable, and he's going to be somebody who is gonna motivate and push us to get where we want to go because he understands the talent level with this group and understands our capability. I'm personally happy, and I think everybody else -- being able to have a little time around him thus far is exciting -- and is excited for this moment."
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
