Tobias Harris’ Absence at Pistons Practice Explained

Why did Tobias Harris miss the Pistons' open practice?

May 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (12) and guard Cameron Payne (22) play against the New York Knicks during the first half of game six of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

This weekend, the Detroit Pistons are finally going to get an opportunity to play against another opponent. First, the team gathered for a public practice on Saturday to scrimmage in front of fans for the first time this offseason.

All week long, the Pistons have competed in practice with their team near full health. Aside from Ausar Thompson, the rest of the roster has been present and active.

On Saturday, two more players got the day off.

New Pistons veteran Tobias Harris was one of them.

According to MLive’s Kory Woods, Harris’s absence was explained as a “scheduled day off,” by new Pistons head coach, J.B. Bickerstaff. It appears there is nothing alarming going on, and the veteran could make his preseason debut as early as Sunday.

“We want to make sure we’re monitoring him. We’ve been practicing pretty hard, and he hasn’t missed many reps. We just want to make sure he’s solid for the game tomorrow and going forward," Bickerstaff told reporters.

The Pistons host the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night for an 8 PM ET matchup. That will be the first of five matchups this offseason before the Pistons fire up their regular-season run against the Indiana Pacers on October 23.

While getting plenty of reps in the preseason would be ideal for Harris, the Pistons already know what the seasoned veteran brings to the table.

Being in the NBA since 2011, Harris is a longtime contributor for several teams. After runs in Milwaukee and Orlando, Harris landed with the Pistons back in 2016. The 2016-2017 season was his first and only full season with the Pistons. During the 2017-2018 season, Harris was traded to the LA Clippers after 48 games.

After spending some time out west, Harris made his way back to the Eastern Conference in 2019. He joined the Philadelphia 76ers for what became a six-year stay. Last year, Harris wrapped up the final season of the contract he signed with the Sixers in 2019.

The Pistons acquired Harris through free agency. The veteran forward signed on with a two-year deal worth over $50 million. As he enters a much different situation compared to his last stop, Harris moves up the pecking order with his new team and acquires an important leadership role. Easing him into what’s set to be a long season is in Detroit’s best interest.

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