Tobias Harris hasn’t just served as a sage voice in the Pistons’ locker room — he has become the secondary option they need for playoff success. The 33-year-old forward is averaging 21.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game in the playoffs as Detroit carries a 2-0 series lead into Cleveland this afternoon.
Harris told Hunter Patterson of The Athletic that his two seasons during his second stint with Detroit have been joyful.
“They bring me a lot of life. I tell my wife all the time all the time, ‘I love being a part of this team, I love being with these guys.’” Harris said. “On the floor, off the floor, the communication, the way we all are friends, really. I’m the older guy, but I look at our team like life-long friends outside of hooping — that’s rare. I’ve played with a lot of guys. I’ve probably only called a few of them real friends.”
Cade Cunningham said that Harris, who will be a free agent after the season, has contributed to his growth on and off the court.
“Man, he’s been great in a lot of ways,” Cunningham said. “He’s shown me things, on and off the court — professionalism, ways to make my life easier and do my job more efficiently. On the court, he’s so versatile. We can put him in so many different spots. He can space us and shoot the 3, we can put him on the block and he goes and gets us one. We went to him a couple times, I think, early fourth quarter to go get us some buckets. Just the ability to put him in so many different spots at the four position is great for us. His professionalism and the way that he leads is just the cherry on top.”
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- Ausar Thompson and the Pistons are at the forefront of a defensive revolution, Shawn Windsor of the Detroit Free Press opines. Thompson’s ability to dominate at the defensive end could change the way front offices think about draft prospects. Thompson was a No. 5 overall pick by the previous front office regime and has overcome his offensive shortcomings with his defensive impact. Windsor notes that the top eight three-point shooting teams in the league this season have already been eliminated.
- Cunningham has emerged as a premier closer. He’s leading the league in scoring during this postseason, averaging 30.6 points per game on 45.0% shooting from the field and 40.6% from behind the arc. “Cade is just fabulous,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “He’s a killer closer, and all the adjectives you want to talk about, he’s it, and in the fourth quarter, he does his best work.” Cunningham says that he’s fueled by crunch time moments. “I just want to win games. It’s been a lot of games down the stretch where it’s tight and you’ve got to have productive possessions,” he said. “The pressure, the moment – whatever the word is I’m looking for … it’s high stakes at the end of games. You’ve got to make plays. All of that stuff fuels me.”
- Backup point guard Daniss Jenkins struggled in his first five postseason games but has delivered in the last three. The former two-way player is averaging 14.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists during that stretch and also made four steals in Game 1 against the Cavaliers. “That’s just me. I got to process stuff for myself,” he said. “Like I said, you can’t simulate the playoffs. Can’t do that. It’s my first time going through it. So, I knew I wouldn’t be scared, nothing like that. I just had to go through it, and I had to adjust to the intensity, the atmosphere, the physicality. Like I said, I think early on, I was just pressing a little too much. I just had to relax.”
Jenkins has been balling! More impact than Harden at a tenth of the contract.
Man Cade is a tough matchup for the Cavs. Harden got the size and strength. But he can’t stay on
him. Donovan just too small. They have to use 3-4 different guys on him. Cause he is a major problem for them. On offense they should attack Cade get him in foul trouble. Cavs have to find a way to handle Cade lols. Make everyone else beat you.
You gotta be physical with Pistons. Cavs have size but don’t use it to their advantage. Mobley and Allen should be playing more pick roll with the guards.
After many years we’ve heard Tobias’ situation as the “worst contract in the league”, “terrible player for his contract”, “non factor”, (his contract is bad to be honest, but still) it’s good to see him playing well and being vital for a winning team, and in the playoffs.
Nonetheless, the Pistons are not winning the championship with these kind of offense. Tobias’ emergence is helping a lot, but they have no other scorers, and relying on Cade to average a 30 point triple double for the entire playoffs isn’t sustainable nor realistic. I’m all for the defense, and defense wins championships, but you can’t win if you can’t put the ball in the basket. Nobody counted on Tobias’ to play like this, but still is a bad plan to rely on this.
Harden stepping up today. That last three was a foul on Harris. Cavs have to enforce their size on Pistons. They are letting them off easy by not doing it. The offense should go thru their two bigs. More pick-rolls with them. Mobley 4/6 FG this is not enough. He should be at 12-14 shots. Allen 7/9 FG high %. I like to see 12 FG. And mostly in post. For both of them.
Cavs have to try itger guys in Cade. Like Tyson, Wade, Strus. And double him when clock goes under 8 sec. Cavs D tends to lack focus at times. That can’t happen. And they have to attack Cade on offense. He’s the only guy that is killing them.