Orlando Magic: Tobias Harris doing enough for an extension?

Has Orlando Magic forward Tobias Harris done enough this preseason to warrant a contract extension?

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The Orlando Magic seem to be in their second phase of rebuilding. After cleaning house and loading up on young assets after trading Dwight Howard away two years ago, the Magic were able to make a mid-season deal to acquire forward Tobias Harris from the Milwaukee Bucks. Harris impressed early in Orlando, and could be one of the team’s building blocks going forward.

Along with Nikola Vucevic, Harris is eligable for a contract extension by the deadline Oct. 31. After drafting Aaron Gordon in the lottery and signing Channing Frye in the off-season, the Magic are loaded with forwards. Harris needs to impress this month to convince the Magic to extend him. According to Joshua Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, he has.

"Harris arguably was the most impressive player inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse as the Magic beat the Pacers 96-93. In 22 minutes, Harris scored 16 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out four — yes, four — assists.“He’s really grown up as a basketball player,” Magic coach Jacque Vaughn said before tipoff.Hampered for much of last season by a high-ankle sprain, Harris, a 6-foot-9 combo forward, never found a consistent rhythm in 2013-14.So far this preseason, he’s looked different. He’s unveiled an improved jumper and more of a willingness to locate open teammates. “This year,” Harris said, “I wanted to improve my assists to get a couple more a game. That would be me trusting my teammates and also my teammates also making shots.”"

Harris, who fancied himself a scorer these past few seasons, had a tendency to force the issue. He would over dribble in attempts to get to the lain, and wasn’t very efficient. This preseason, he is showing less of those bad habits and letting the offense come to him.

On one play in the Magic’s preseason game against the Indiana Pacers, Harris found Gordon on a fast break for an open dunk rather than attempt a contested shot himself. That’s the kind of assist that would not have happened in years past.

If Harris can show he’s willing to be a versatile combo forward, he could be a major asset to the Magic and worthy of an extension.

Orlando Magic: Tobias Harris doing enough for an extension?

By Wes Goldberg | Oct 11, 2014

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