Tobias Harris Pinpoints Two Factors Behind 76ers’ Recent Success

Tobias Harris explains the 76ers' recent success on offense.

The Philadelphia 76ers came into the 2022-2023 NBA season with sky-high expectations. To say they came up short at first would be an understatement. 

Through the first five games of the season, the Sixers collected just one win. While the team wasn’t ready to sound the alarms, many outsiders were panicked.

It took a while for the Sixers to find their identity and figure out what works. A series of injuries to key players such as James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid didn’t do the team any favors.

But with Tobias Harris helping lead the pack while the Sixers were undermanned and returning to a valuable role with some of the stars back in the fold, Harris and the Sixers are finally beginning to click the way that the Sixers and their fans desire.

A Wednesday night matchup between the Sixers and the Detroit Pistons served as an opportunity for Philadelphia to collect its sixth-straight win. Fortunately for the Sixers, they managed to collect win No. 18, which became their sixth in a row.

Through a seven-game homestand, the Sixers are finding plenty of success. Following Wednesday’s win, Tobias Harris pointed to two factors that helped.

“I just think that in this homestand, the ball has been moving,” said the veteran. “We’re really finding each other out there on the floor. Our pace is picking up. If I had to pinpoint two things, I think it would be our pace from time to time and our ball movement. That’s been helping us a lot.”

Doc Rivers wanted the Sixers to establish a pecking order of scorers on offense this year, with Joel Embiid and James Harden headlining the pack. Lately, the 76ers have searched for the hot hand on offense and allowed that player to produce in the best way possible.

With the ball moving and everybody getting an opportunity to make plays happen, Harris and others have been quite productive through Philadelphia’s six-game win streak. Now, they’ll put their improved pace and ball movement to the test against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.