Blazers' CJ McCollum Considers Sixers Standout Tobias Harris 'Underappreciated'

Portland Trail Blazers star CJ McCollum considers Sixers standout forward Tobias Harris to be underappreciated in the NBA.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris has always been recognized as a solid player since getting selected in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft. However, the young forward never really had an opportunity to make his mark on an organization as he kept getting traded early on in his career.

After getting drafted to the Milwaukee Bucks, Harris was sent to the Orlando Magic. Following a few seasons in Orlando, Harris was then sent to the Detroit Pistons. During his third year there, Harris was flipped in a blockbuster deal to end up with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Finally, during his second season in LA, Harris was on the brink of becoming a star under head coach Doc Rivers. Knowing he was on a contract year and likely looking to cash in during the 2019 offseason, though, the Clippers moved Harris at the trade deadline, sending him to the Sixers.

At this point, Harris considers Philadelphia his home. Two summers ago, the veteran forward inked a long-term max contract. While his 2019-2020 season didn't live up to his contract's expectations, his 2020-2021 performance has been a different story.

Harris is putting up career-high numbers in Philly with Doc Rivers as his coach once again. While he was snubbed from cracking an All-Star team, Harris' peers know just how talented he truly is on the court. And recently, Portland Trail Blazers star CJ McCollum listed Harris as one of the most underappreciated players in the NBA, in his opinion. 

"I’m a huge, huge, huge Tobias Harris fan," McCollum said on 'The Pullup Podcast.' "He’s smooth, he’s got a middy. He’s an analytics dream right now, shooting over 52-percent from the field, over 40 from three, and 88-percent from the free-throw line while averaging over 20 points. He’s getting rebounds, he’s on a team who’s basically number one in the east, and he’s consistently performing at this level which kind of shows you where he’s at. I don’t think he gets enough credit for his game."

Picking up his first All-Star nod would've surely issued Harris some much-deserved credit for his game this year. Unfortunately, he didn't get it. While he was disappointed, Doc Rivers told the veteran forward that he'll get it next season as long as he sustains his high level of play and shows out in the playoffs too.

With the postseason approaching next month and the Sixers guaranteed to have a spot in the tournament, Harris will undoubtedly have his chance to show out in the postseason this year. Perhaps, that's when the veteran forward will flip the narrative and become appreciated instead of underappreciated. 

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