Getty Joel Embiid, Sixers, at left and teammate Tobias Harris
It’s been eight days since Tobias Harris first went out with COVID-19, something which coach Doc Rivers said threatened to lay the Sixers forward low for a while.
Rivers raised some alarm bells among Sixers fans last week when he was asked about Harris’ condition. He was blunt: “He’s doing ok, but not great, honestly. That’s the most I’m gonna say about it, but it hit him for sure. A lot of guys have had this and they are mad like ‘What the hell? I’m fine.’ Tobias is not in that category. I can tell you that.”
So it’s been nice to see that Harris, no matter what the state of his health, is at least following along with the fate of his team, which has handled his absence nicely. The Sixers won six straight games heading into Monday’s matchup against the Knicks.
On social media, Harris has been ebullient.
On Saturday, after the Sixers defeated the Bulls for the second consecutive game, Harris posted to Twitter, “You gotta LOVE it!!!” When a fan responded with, “I hope you’re healing up, Tobias,” Harris came back by saying, “Every W is healing me.”
Every W is healing me. 🔋🔋
Sixers Niang, Korkmaz Have Stepped Up for Harris
Harris posts the kind of numbers that are typically difficult for a team to replace, with averages of 19.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists. He’s struggled with his 3-point shot in the first six games in which he played (32.0%), but he has been excellent from the field, at 54.3%.
The Sixers have been able to fake it at power forward with Harris out, mixing in Furkan Korkmaz (usually a 2-guard), Georges Niang and second-year man Paul Reed in his place. Korkmaz and Niang have filled the scoring void left by Harris, with Korkmaz averaging 17.0 points and making 52.4% of his 3-pointers and Niang averaging 16.3 points while making 36.4% of his 3s.
Reed got a surprise start against Chicago on Saturday, and scored 10 points on 5-for-6 shooting.
Rivers’ Bench Tested Earlier Than Expected
Earlier in the season, Rivers talked about the importance of the Sixers developing their bench early in the year, with the idea being that testing the group in October and November will be beneficial down the stretch and in the playoffs.
“Letting them try to figure [it] out … that pays dividends later,” Rivers said. “That’s why, early in the year, you extend your bench. That’s why you do it. It’s so important for your team.”
Problem is, for Rivers, the bench has been forced into premature development as, for the second straight season, the team has been wracked with players either infected with COVID-19 or forced into the NBA’s health and safety protocols. The Sixers have been able to survive that thanks to their depth.
On Monday, though, it was learned that star center Joel Embiid is entering the league protocols, which is a different challenge altogether. While Embiid has noted that he has had trouble with his shooting (43.9% from the field), he has made 39.4% from the 3-point line and his numbers remain MVP-caliber: 21.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists for the best team in the East.
Rivers had a gloomy update on Embiid. “He’s struggling with it,” Rivers told reporters.
Rivers on Embiid’s COVID symptoms: “He’s not doing great, he’s struggling with it, very similar to Tobias.”
Andre Drummond, a former Olympian and All-Star, will replace Embiid. Rivers noted, “We have a bona fide starting center.”
It is unclear how long Embiid will be out. But Rivers did announce some good news when he said that forward Danny Green, out for the last three games with a hamstring problem, looked good in shootaround and was hopeful he would be back on the floor.