Sixers' Tobias Harris Named a Finalist for 2020 U.S. Olympic Men's Team

It has been a solid year, but one filled with ups and downs for Philadelphia 76ers forward, Tobias Harris. The 27-year-old veteran began his season off as a newly paid man in the NBA as he received a maximum contract from the Sixers after being traded to them midway through the year from the Clippers last season.

That significantly expensive payday created a high bar of expectations for Harris, which he hasn't exceeded just yet. However, just because he might not have fully matched his contract value at this point in his first full season with the Sixers, doesn't mean he isn't having an impressive season with the Sixers.

Harris played and started in all 54 games for Philly this year. On the offensive side of the ball, he has been one of their more consistent scorers as he's averaged 19.1 points-per-game up until this point. While his shooting isn't as consistent as expected, Harris has made up for that in other ways with his aggressiveness to get to the rim and even his sudden improvement on the defensive side of the ball as well.

Throughout the first stretch of the season, Harris was making a case to become an All-Star in the NBA. Some even noted him as a snub from the game as he didn't even get a nod to become a reserve. Harris might not have been a finalist for the NBA All-Star Game, but at least he's on the U.S. Olympic Men's team's radar this year.

On Monday, 44 finalists were announced. Harris was the lone representative for the Sixers. Over the summer, the Sixers' forward was expected to join the Team USA, but he opted to work on his game for the upcoming NBA season. If he gets picked for the Olympics in Tokyo, however, that opportunity would be extremely hard to pass up.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_