The fan base in the city of Philadelphia is one of the more passionate fan bases in the world. It is obvious that they are invested in the sport and they want to see everybody do well. They will also let their frustrations known if they don’t get what they think they should out of a player.
The latest player who has drawn their ire is Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris. The max contract second star next to Joel Embiid is averaging 18.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and a career-high 3.9 assists, but he is shooting just 45% from the floor and 28.7% from deep.
During a tough night shooting the ball in Monday’s win over the Houston Rockets, Harris drew some boos from the crowd at the Wells Fargo Center and it was clear that he was frustrated with receiving their criticism. Afterward, he received support from Embiid and acting head coach Dan Burke amid the criticism he received.
Danny Green, who has called out Sixers fans in the past, also defended Harris saying:
I know it’s getting to him. I’m always trying to be the the encourager because I know the work he puts in and regardless of how he’s playing, he does not deserve the disrespect that he’s gotten from our home court, or our fans or even outside fans. A lot of people outside of our fans have not given him the benefit of the doubt of the things that he’s done for the team last year and in the past years. The work he’s put in. Obviously, all they see is the numbers. They see what he’s not doing and what he’s making and what what they think he should be doing and he’s a big part of this team. I just try to tell him to just block out the noise, we all do. We try to encourage him. We try to simplify and make the game easier for him. We know you’re frustrated, we know things sometimes are not going you way, and he knows I do have to perform. I do have to play better and it happens.
From @975Middays – If you missed the most recent Danny Green comments on Philly fans and Tobias Harris, here you go: pic.twitter.com/d3WJJuSR95
— Connor Thomas (@ConnorThomas975) January 5, 2022
Green has a good point about Harris’ production in the past. He probably should have been named an All-Star in the 2021 season when he shot 51.2% from the floor and 39.4% from deep while averaging 19.5 points per game.
While the efficiency has definitely dropped and Harris will have to figure that out, he is still a hugely important player to the Sixers. While he should not be trying to get into a fight with the fans in Philadelphia, Harris is a guy who is coming off a pretty good season. There is still over half a season for him to figure it out before the playoffs begin in April.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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