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Tobias Harris Rumors
Jorge Sierra: Shai passed all these players in playoff scoring last night: Derrick White, Bill Cartwright, Boris Diaw, Derek Harper, Kiki Vandeweghe, Phil Chenier, Tobias Harris, Jeff Mullins, Dennis Rodman, Alvan Adams, Bob Love, Trevor Ariza, Zelmo Beaty. He's No. 216 all-time now.
For the most part, the Knicks have been able to minimize Jalen Brunson’s weaknesses on defense by having him camp out Detroit’s least dynamic players. So far, that’s meant matching up with Tim Hardaway Jr. and, to a lesser extent, Malik Beasley. But at the end of Game 5, Brunson rolled his ankle. I’ll be watching Game 6 to see if Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff targets Brunson by ramping up Hardaway’s role as a screener or by replacing him with someone who will make Brunson move his feet on defense. A lineup of Cade Cunningham, Dennis Schroder, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, and Jalen Duren lacks shooting, but it would force Brunson to either guard the ball (Schroder) or box out someone much bigger than him (Thompson). Either way, it could work in Detroit’s favor.
As the Detroit Pistons enter a new chapter with a retooled front office and fresh talent, Mahorn sees signs of real cohesion. “It seems that they have a togetherness about them,” said Mahorn. “It seems like the veteran leadership is very contagious with Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. and then the rookies are responding with Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland.” “You gotta credit — it starts from the top. Trajon [Langdon] did a great job coming in his first GM year to hire a guy like J.B. Bickerstaff… His record has shown. Nobody gives him that type of credit from Houston and when he took over Cleveland. He has a pedigree with his dad, Bernie Bickerstaff. I’ve known him since he was a kid. And so to see his relationship with the players is more about making sure they’re on the right page.”
He's not even the oldest Pistons player -- that belongs to Hardaway Jr (33 years old). But Harris knew what he was getting into when he signed a two-year, $52 million contract with the Pistons, a team that entered the season with an average age of 24.3 years old, the fourth-youngest team in the NBA. The young team was also coming off a 14-68 season, one of the worst the league has ever seen. "There's a lot of talent here, kind of just need a few adults in the room," Harris told ESPN. "Guide these guys a little bit, and really boost their confidence up, boost the professionalism, morale of the whole team, and see where they could take us. "I knew that coming in that this was going to be a breath of fresh air for me, but I've truly enjoyed it. It's the most fun I've had playing basketball my whole career with this group and this team."
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff, in his first season with the franchise, refers to Harris and the team's vets by a different nickname. "My safety blanket," Bickerstaff said earlier this month. "Every time things are going awry, I can put those two guys in the game and I know they're going to settle it down."
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Cade Cunningham leads Pistons to Game 2 win, head back to Detroit with series tied
Fred Katz: FINAL: Pistons 100, Knicks 94. Pistons tie the series at 1-1. • Cunningham 33-12-3 • Harris 15 & 13 • Schröder 20 pts, 3 asts • Brunson 37-3-7 • Towns 10 & 6 (0 pts in second half) Game 3 scheduled for Thursday night in Detroit.
As soon as the final horn sounded Saturday night on the Knicks’ 123-112 win, Pistons forward and Long Island native Tobias Harris went over to his team’s bench and went down the line, offering words of encouragement to his group. “It’s a series,” Harris reminded them. “You can’t get too high, you can’t get too low.” For three quarters of Saturday’s game, the Pistons looked like the better team.
“We’re in the playoffs. We know what time it is,” Harris said. “This group is always about bouncing back and making sure we’re focusing, our energy level is where it needs to be. That’s why vets like myself are here to make sure this group’s spirit is up. … We’re excited and we’re embracing this challenge. Drop our first game, but we’ll be ready to go for Game 2.” The immediate aftermath of Saturday’s game left an unsavory taste for the Pistons, but coach J.B. Bickerstaff believes his team will ultimately be better having experienced that late-game blowup.
Cade Cunningham knows he’s walking into the unknown, but it’s way more of a waking-up-Christmas-morning anticipation than a sense of dread that washes over him and teammates who’ve never experienced the NBA playoffs as they count down the hours until Game 1 tips off Saturday in New York. “I’ve always picked my vets’ brains since my rookie year,” Cunningham said of leaning on Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr., Malik Beasley, Dennis Schroder and Paul Reed – who take a combined 240 games of playoff experience into the postseason with them – for an idea of what to expect. “There’s been conversations throughout my career, hearing stories about the craziest things that have happened. It’s all good. I think I’ve learned a lot from that, but experience is the greatest teacher. I’m excited to be out there.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo passes Mitch Richmond on all-time scoring list
Jorge Sierra: Giannis Antetokounmpo has passed Mitch Richmond in scoring for No. 48 in NBA history. Also: Tobias Harris moved ahead of Walt Frazier, Artis Gilmore and Rashard Lewis for No. 142.
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Stephen Curry, Donovan Mitchell among finalists for Teammate of the Year award
The NBA announced the finalists for the 2024-25 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award on Tuesday. Current NBA players will select the winner from these 12 finalists (six finalists from each NBA conference). The players selected as finalists are below (listed alphabetically by last name): · Steven Adams, Houston Rockets · Nicolas Batum, LA Clippers · Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks · Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors · Tobias Harris, Detroit Pistons · Al Horford, Boston Celtics · Jaren Jackson Jr, Memphis Grizzlies · James Johnson, Indiana Pacers · DeAndre Jordan, Denver Nuggets · Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks · Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers · Jaylin Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
Omari Sankofa II: Tobias Harris is a late scratch (right achilles tendinopathy). Same injury as Friday
Harris, who scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the Pistons’ 122-96 blowout victory, is averaging 13.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 69 games. After quickly finding his footing in Detroit, he has emerged as a steady contributor in the team’s playoff push. “I would say it’s the dynamic of how we play as a team,” Harris told Sportskeeda. “We have complementary pieces around each other, and we play off Cade well. Being a veteran and versatile at the forward position, it’s a great fit for me. I love playing with these guys, love the energy from all of them, the vibe of the group, and the overall team chemistry is huge. I have a lot of fun with the team, both on and off the floor.”
Cunningham earned his first All-Star appearance this season and is averaging 25.7 points, 9.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds in 66 games. “His demeanor as a player really stands out,” Harris told Sportskeeda. “His pace on the floor, stepping up in big games and big moments, and his leadership in getting guys going all contribute to his impact. His will to win is extremely impressive — he’s not only an amazing talent but an even better person.”
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