The Sixers need Tobias Harris to emerge again as a scorer for long-term success

The 76ers need Tobias Harris to be successful.

Teams will scheme to limit the two-man game with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in the postseason. So outcomes will be determined by how players like Harris, De’Anthony Melton, and Kelly Oubre Jr., perform. With that, Harris needs to find a way to remain involved when plays aren’t run for him.

But at the moment, the two-man game has been hard to stop. Embiid is the most unguardable player in the NBA. He leads the league in first-quarter scoring (11.7 points per game), third-quarter scoring (12.8) and overall scoring (35.1). Meanwhile, Maxey has averaged career highs in points (26.1) and assists (6.6).

As a result, it wasn’t surprising to see Embiid finish with 51 points and Maxey add 35 in Wednesday’s 127-113 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Wells Fargo Center.

» READ MORE: Would Matisse Thybulle have thrived under new Sixers coach Nick Nurse?

The two-man game forces opponents to back off guarding other Sixers to stop it.That leads to players like Harris being open, creating opportunities to step up.

However, the power forward’s numbers had been in decline. He had just nine points on 4-for-10 shooting from the field against the Timberwolves (20-6). Harris also had five rebounds, three assists, one steal and turnover in 36 minutes, 31 seconds.

“I thought he had a good game tonight,” coach Nick Nurse said. “I thought he worked really hard. He was matched up on [Anthony] Edwards. He was matched up on [Karl-Anthony] Towns. He was back to Edwards late. ...

“I thought he chased the ball. I thought he made some great drives. I think he didn’t finish a couple. He was getting a little oh, no, you know, whatever. But then he goes down and dunks one and scores and getsa offensive rebound... I was really happy with Tobias’ energy all night long.”

Harris was aggressive at the start, but didn’t sustain it. So it’s hard to decipher if Nurse was truly pleased or if his comments were meant to keep Harris engaged during what is a difficult time.

In his last 11 games, he averaged 11.3 points while shooting 45.1% on 9.3 shots per game during that stretch. Harris, now in his 13th year in the NBA, had his worst performance of the season Monday, scoring a season-low three points on 1-for-3 shooting in a 108-104 loss to the Chicago Bulls.

All this comes after Harris averaged 19.3 points while shooting 54.2% on 13.4 shots in the first 16 games.

In short: He’s been sort of the odd man out while others are having success playing off Embiid and Maxey.

Harris can create more scoring opportunities by getting out on the fast break better. He can attack the offensive boards for putbacks. The 6-foot-8, 226-pounder can become a screen-setter, forcing opponents to help out and leading to his being open. There are a lot of little things Harris can do to get himself involved in the games besides standing stationary in the corner, waiting for the ball.

It’s hard to criticize his perceived lack of aggressive style. Harris is a team-oriented guy. He has excelled on every level while sharing the ball. The former high school McDonald’s All American takes pride in that. He’s the poster child for passing up a good shot if a teammate has a great one.

However, when Harris gets the ball, he has to be more aggressive and look to score instead of passing to teammates. Harris also has to take advantage of mismatches, considering he’s often bigger than most guys defending him.

Embiid and Maxey have to recognize that, too. Harris’ lack of production isn’t all his doing. But if his teammates see that he’s being aggressive, they’ll probably be more willing to look for him.

Oubre, Patrick Beverley, and Marcus Morris Sr. are getting shot attempts while being aggressive.

» READ MORE: Would Matisse Thybulle have thrived under new Sixers coach Nick Nurse?

The best thing Harris can do is make good cuts to the basket when Embiid has the ball. Oubre has shown that hard cuts to the basket, while Embiid is being double-teamed, are close to unguardable.

Embiid and Maxey know the better their supporting cast is, the easier it’s going to be for them. So they’re going to pass the ball to teammates who are playing well and being aggressive. It’s a two-way street, but it has to start with Harris.

Earlier in the season, Nurse did a solid job of making sure Harris got the ball. But the coaching staff has appeared to leave it up to individuals to create for themselves since the two-man game has taken off.

But the coaches want and need Harris to play great because everyone has to play at a high level in the playoffs. That’s why they’re encouraging Beverley to shoot more three-pointers and Melton to attack the basket. It’s also why they got Morris in shape and playing at a high level off the bench.

Now, it’s time to get Harris back to that level too.