Though he’s never been an All-Star, Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris has cemented himself among the NBA’s top 40 players the past two seasons.
A solid scorer, Harris has earned a chance to potentially compete for Team USA in this summer’s Tokyo Olympics. Per Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin, Harris is among 44 finalists named for the U.S. men’s basketball team. Harris joins fellow Eastern Conference players such as Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as finalists.
Harris had an opportunity to participate in last summer’s FIBA World Cup, but he withdrew his name from consideration, citing in The Philadelphia Inquirer that he wanted to get some necessary rest. Per the Inquirer, Harris said last August he would like to play in the Olympics for Team USA.
Tobias Harris has been named 1 of the 44 finalists for the 2020 US Men’s Olympics basketball team. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will be the coach again. #Sixers
— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) February 10, 2020
If Harris makes Team USA’s Olympic roster, he could add some scoring punch. Harris plays similarly to Carmelo Anthony, who has had some of the most success of any NBA player in the Olympics. Anthony is Team USA’s all-time leading scorer in Olympic competition, and he has won four medals, with three of them being gold.
Like Anthony, Harris can heat up from deep and score in bunches. The Americans could utilize Harris as a catch-and-shoot forward, as higher-caliber players like Kevin Durant, Steph Curry or LeBron James would draw more attention from defenses.
As the Sixers’ second-leading scorer, Harris is averaging 19.1 points per game this season and shooting 36.7% from the 3-point line. He has shot 36.4% from the 3-point line for his career.
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