It’s a period of transition in Los Angeles, and not just with the Lakers. Amid all the hoopla surrounding LeBron James’ move to L.A. this summer, it’s easy to forget that the Clippers closed the final chapter on Lob City this offseason when the last remnants of that era — DeAndre Jordan and Austin Rivers — left for other pastures.
Even with all the upheaval last season, the Clippers were still one of the feel-good stories of the NBA. With Chris Paul in Houston and Blake Griffin shipped to Detroit before the trade deadline, everyone expected them to quietly implode. Instead, they were in the playoff hunt in the West right up until the last few days of the season.
Lou Williams, of course, was a major catalyst for that. When given the freedom to do what he wants, he’s one of the most exciting scorers in the league, and we got treated to the full Lou Will experience last season in Los Angeles. The organization rightfully rewarded him with a three-year, $24 million contract this summer for his troubles.
But another big reason for their unexpected success came from a more understated member of the roster: Tobias Harris, who joined the Clippers in the aforementioned Griffin trade. Harris rather quietly put up 19 points and six rebounds per game for the Clippers on 41 percent shooting from downtown during his 32 appearances with his new team, all of which would’ve been career bests had they extended over a full season.
To be certain, the Clippers’ front office had taken notice. As with Lou, they tried to ply him with an $80 million contract extension this summer. Harris, however, turned that down and decided to wait until he becomes a free agent next summer, when he’s eligible for a significantly larger max deal.
Los Angeles can still offer him the most money, reportedly somewhere in the neighborhood of $188 million over five years, so there’s still a good chance he isn’t going anywhere. But Harris’ decision means he’s betting on himself this season, which always comes with significant risks, because a lot can happen over the course of a season.
Still, it’s always exciting when a team has a guy on its roster who’s playing for their next contract. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting the best version of that guy, but it certainly promises to be interesting. The 26-year-old Harris is already on his fourth NBA team after stints with the Bucks, Magic, Pistons, and now, the Clippers. The question is whether his tenure in L.A. will be another brief interlude on his NBA journey.
A couple of preseason games clearly don’t provide enough evidence to make a prediction one way or another, but they can certainly hint at what the Clippers might have in store this season if things fall into place. In their win over the Timberwolves earlier this week, Los Angeles unleashed a wing combo of Harris and a healthy Danilo Gallinari that could cause matchup nightmares for their opponents this season. Gallinari had 22 points and six rebounds and shot 2-for-3 from downtown, while Harris finished with 23 points and six boards on 4-for-5 shooting from behind the arc in just 23 minutes of action.
👀 Tobias Harris with the spin & shot over KAT!
(Via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/ouQSp4W3aG
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) October 4, 2018
More important, they looked perfectly comfortable playing off one another, and a small-ball lineup with two taller players who can shoot from long-range, handle the ball, and find teammates gives them the type of spacing they only dreamed of during the Lob City years if Gallo can stay healthy — a big if, given his checkered injury history.
Regardless, Harris is an intriguing piece for the Clippers to say the least. Players at his size with his abilities don’t come along every other day. They’re arguably the most sought-after players around the league, and given his production with the Clippers in the second half of last season, he’ll have a chance to shine in L.A. like he never has before.
Harris has all tools to do so, too. But there’s unavoidable questions that come with having switched teams three times already by the age of 26, namely why these other teams have given up on him so quickly? The generous answer is that he simply hasn’t been put in the right situation yet. In his defense, he’s been on bad and/or under-performing teams in which his considerable talents were mostly squandered throughout his career.
The tenor in Los Angeles this year should be quite different from his previous experiences. Doc Rivers, for one, is expecting a breakout season from Harris, so he should see more minutes, more shot attempts, more overall responsibility. It’s up to Harris to make the most of it. It’ll help that the expectations, team-wise, are relatively modest. The Clippers feel like a long-shot to make the postseason, even though like last year, they’ll probably be better than anyone expects. That should give Harris some freedom of mind to take his game to the next level and try to secure his stature as a franchise cornerstone.
The Clippers won’t get as much attention as that other team in Los Angeles this season, but it’ll fascinating to watch if Harris establishes himself as a viable long-term option, especially considering the Clippers’ pitch to free agents next summer becomes far stronger if the he’s able to establish himself as a star for players to join. At the very least, we’ll get a full season of “The Bobi and Tobi Show,” which is quickly becoming the best bromance in the NBA.
