2011 NBA Draft Profile: Tobias Harris

by bone31crusher on May 24, 2011 11:15 PM CDT

Well, since I've been defending Tobias Harris quite a bit on the other post, I'll go ahead and do a full scouting report on the 6'8" 223 pound SF from the University of Tennessee.

Draft projection: Late lottery at the earliest

NBA comparison: Shane Battier with more offense

Pros:

Physical tools
Good, maybe great athleticism
Great balance
Terrific in the open court
Finishes above the rim
Finishes around the rim well
Doesn't try to do too much
Good defender now, maybe great later on
Doesn't turn 20 until July
Very good rebounder
NBA body
High basketball IQ

Cons:

Jumper is good, but still needs work
Fundamentals need a little work
Ball handling skills aren't bad, but not great
Average at best 3 point shot
Turnovers are a problem at times

Tobias Harris' biggest strength is his versatility. He's a legitimate two way player. He's a good defender, and has an above average offensive game. He uses his athleticism so well in the open court. I've said it so many times but it's the biggest thing that jumps out on film.

Besides being a great athlete and a versatile player, he's only 19. He has good upside on both sides of the court, especially defensively. He's already a good defender, but has the ability to be a terrific one. To go along with his good athleticism, he has a long wingspan of 6'11", and has an NBA ready body at 223 pounds.

Offensively, I think he's going to be a 15 PPG type of player, with most of his points coming in the open floor or from catch-and-shoot opportunities. That doesn't mean he cannot create his own shot, because he can, it's just not his strength. Another thing that's going to get him points is the FT line. He shot 76% from the line last year, and with his athleticism, he'll get to the line regularly.

This is definitely the type of player that Morey likes. Harris can do almost everything in the stat category, while being above average in 2, maybe 3 of them. He's not a super efficient player, but he shot 46%, which is good enough.

Some people say this guy is not worth the 14th pick, and I disagree. The only person who I would take over Harris SF wise is Chris Singleton, assuming Leonard doesn't fall. Hamilton has more talent, but his basketball IQ is not nearly on the same level as Harris' is.

Poll

Would you be ok with the Rockets selecting Tobias Harris at 14(assuming Singleton is gone)?

Yes

39 votes

No

8 votes

Hell No

3 votes

50 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I think

I’ve enjoyed every draft profile done so far. Keep up the good work guys.

The player I would like least at #9 would be my sister’s cat, Captain Creamsicle. She does have a great work ethic and agility, but I’m really concerned that at 9 lbs., she’s too small to play safety in the NFL. She also bites way too often on play action and is easily distracted by someone waving string in the crowd. Lastly, her wonderlic score was pretty awful, answering "meow meow meow" for most of the questions- Dr. Brackish Okun

by mob16151 on May 24, 2011 11:43 PM CDT reply actions

not only would I be ok

this is who I want the Rockets to draft. I dont know much about singleton, Hamilton has the eecision making of a 9 year old, and Thompson is another PF we dont need on the roster. This isnt a deep draft and by no means do I think Tobias will be a superstar/all star player, but I think he could be a contributing piece. This is a weak draft and our need of a center cannot be addressed with the 14th pick. I see Tobias as a player who can do everything well and nothing great, but once again its the 14th pick in a weak draft.

"Stability is a factor in teams that win the championship. But if you stabilize on a team that's going to end up short of that, then all you're doing is spinning your wheels in the 45-win range."-----Daryl Morey

by fanoflosingteams on May 25, 2011 1:01 AM CDT reply actions

If they can't move up and if Singleton is gone and they can't package this pick

in a trade…. Then I guess it will be ok. To me, he’s a slightly improved Chase Budinger at best. I would love to have a premier wing defender who can develop a 3 taken here.

Funny how Memphis' ****-up has become Houston's obsession

by jake_471 on May 25, 2011 2:03 AM CDT reply actions

He's far from Bud.

Bud is pretty one-dimensional. He can take it to the hoop and finish, but his strength is his shot.

Another thing that separates the two is that Harris has the ability to become an elite defender in this league. Combined with his physical tools and his high basketball IQ, he can get it done.

One thing that I noticed about Bud when he’s in the open court, he rarely passes the ball, no matter what. If it’s a 3 on 2 fast break, and he gets the ball on the wing, he’s going to try to lay it up no matter what. He got called for charging more times than not. The thing with Harris is that he doesn’t commit to one thing. He waits for the defender to make his move, then commits to either passing or shooting.

Like I said on the post, I think Harris is Shane Battier with more offense. Shane had the ability to guard the 3 and the 4 with success, and Harris has the same ability. Shane had a high basketball IQ, so does Harris. They are incredibly similar with their versatility and their physical tools. Harris is also a better athlete, and a much more polished scorer, compared to Battier.

"Hakeem couldn't kick your ass cuz you were too
close kissin his!"- Sir Charles to Kenny Smith.

by bone31crusher on May 25, 2011 11:24 AM CDT up reply actions

I agree with this

But I think his absolute ceiling on D is Battier. Sure, he may be a bit of a better athlete, but Battier has out of this world brains and incredible fundamentals. Harris is smart, but Battier is probably the smartest player in the league right now. Battier was literally the best lock-down defender a few years ago, and while I see Harris becoming a productive two-way player that is pretty good on defense, I can’t see him reaching Battier levels.

by Patrick Harrel on May 25, 2011 5:21 PM CDT up reply actions