Tobias Harris was the first player to talk bout a lack of mental toughness after last year’s playoff exit. He saw “crappy” body language during the Miami Heat series and questioned his team’s fight. Bold words at the time.
The Philadelphia 76ers made upgrading their toughness the top priority in the offseason. It has been showing early on at training camp, most noticeably in a heated exchange between Paul Reed and Joel Embiid. These Sixers are determined to muck it up and grind it out.
“I think this is one of the most competitive groups that [I’ve been a part of], in terms of the amount of talent that we have,” Harris said at Sixers Media Day. “It’s going to be a very competitive training camp at different positions and we need that. We need a competitive training camp. We need that grit and that grind that we’re going to face in these next couple of days together as a unit.”
Morey says that adding toughness — both physical and mental — was a priority. “When things are down, having the mental fortitude to pull everyone together… that was a big part of our summer.”
P.J. Tucker has been flashing that toughness in South Carolina, along with newcomers De’Anthony Melton, Montrezl Harrell, and Danuel House. Melton actually “screwed practice up” with his intensity. Doc Rivers’ group knows the assignment.
“I think we added a lot of guys with that type of toughness, but then also guys that can space the floor and shoot the ball as well at different positions,” Harris said. “I just think the versatility is there for our group, and now it’ll just be a matter of figuring out how we can all gel together on the basketball court, defensively and offensively. But we got a lot of talent to make some good things happen this year but it’s going to take a lot of work and a lot of chemistry for us to come together as a whole group and figure it out.”
Harris Learning to ‘Let It Fly’ on Offensive End
Harris’ role changed dramatically with the arrival of James Harden. The Sixers needed him to camp out on the perimeter and bomb long-range jumpers instead of gliding into the paint for floaters. He struggled at first before smoothing it out. Harris put it on full display during the Toronto playoff series when he shot 43.3% from three-point land. More of that, please.
“The biggest adjustment was just letting it fly and not worrying about the result but shooting it quicker and shooting it from different spots and letting it go,” Harris said. “So I do look to kind of let them go even more this year from different situations on the floor. I just think it opens up the floor for everyone else, and if I’m in those positions to receive that basketball, I have to let it go to space the floor the best way for our group.”
#Sixers forward Tobias Harris post-practice shooting drill:
It’s not easy to adjust to sliding down the pecking order. Harris has fallen to No. 4, or the fourth scoring option behind Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey. Credit Harris for accepting it. He has been staying late after practice to work on corner threes and drill catch-and-shoot opportunities. The key? Quick release.
“Shooting it quicker, not hesitating,” Harris said. “Letting it fly and living with the result.”
Extra work in a quiet gym for Tobias Harris (@tobias31) after practice today.
Paul Reed vs. Joel Embiid Got Heated
The Sixers’ new commitment to mental toughness has been the theme down at training camp in South Carolina. Philly Voice’s Kyle Neubeck shared a tense scene from Thursday’s practice involving Joel Embiid and Paul Reed.
This is the type of energy that Harris was referencing on Sixers Media Day. The vibe and culture just feel different:
There was a moment of real anger/frustration from Embiid over what he thought was handsy defense from Paul Reed. Embiid opted to slam the ball into the floor in frustration, making it known that he thought Reed had fouled him. That came and went pretty quickly, with the Sixers continuing with their drill once Embiid had collected himself, but it was a good look into what we miss with most of these practices completely out of view.
BBall Paul working on his handles at the Sixers facility 👀
🎥 via @Bball_paul on IG
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Heated Exchange at Sixers Camp Illustrates ‘That Grit and That Grind’