Philadelphia 76ers: 5 things to look for down the stretch

2. Is Tobias Harris the closer?

You’ve probably heard it a thousand times by now, but it’s true: 2020-21 Tobias Harris is the Tobias Harris the Sixers traded for in the first place. Given that Harris is more perimeter-oriented than Embiid, he can theoretically provide a different gear to the halfcourt offense without getting in the big man’s way (i.e. spacing the floor for him off the ball). And to this point in the season, Harris has done exactly that — he’s 23-for-41 on shots in the “clutch” part of games (when the two teams are within 5 points of each other with less than 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter or overtime).

His performance against the Utah Jazz is a prime example of what I’m talking about. Consistently attacking mismatches like Bojan Bogdanovic, and even solid assignments like Royce O’Neale, was exactly what the Sixers needed to pull out that overtime win. It wasn’t pretty watching Harris back those guys down, but it got the job done. He’s had similar efforts multiple other times this year, and will need to continue to do that when the lights shine brightest.

Close games are bound to happen over this last segment of the season. If Embiid’s matchup doesn’t scream “feed the beast” and Harris’s is more favorable, the latter will have to be the game plan in crunch time. This upcoming stretch of six consecutive playoff teams (including the Milwaukee Bucks twice) could provide several opportunities for Harris to go super saiyan.