The Philadelphia 76ers just can’t seem to catch a break. Aside from the Ben Simmons situation, which is no closer to being resolved despite the All-Defensive guard’s return to the team, the team had a scare with franchise centerpiece Joel Embiid, who has been dealing with knee issues all season. After having an MRI — which came back clean — Embiid is expected to miss the Sixers game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night, and now it appears they’ll be shorthanded even further.
Forward Tobias Harris has reportedly been sidelined due to health and safety protocols and is expected to miss several games, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. It’s a huge blow for a Philadelphia team that’s had to adjust this season without Simmons in the lineup. Now without Harris, who has been a steady offensive weapon this season, more will now fall on the shoulders of Embiid, when he returns Wednesday, and guard Seth Curry.
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Harris has been an incredibly important piece on both sides of the ball for Philadelphia, and as Embiid’s numbers have taken a step back from the MVP-like stats he put up a year ago, Harris has been there to help shoulder some of the offensive responsibility.
In a recent win over the Atlanta Hawks, it was Harris’ 22 points, 11 rebounds and four assists that led the way for the Sixers. After that game, coach Doc Rivers praised Harris’ aggressiveness to take over the game to guide Philly to a win, saying “When he starts getting into that rhythm, he’s hard to guard. He’s so strong. His first step is so lethal.”
Unfortunately for Philadelphia, they’ll have to be without Harris’ scoring for a few games. It’s unclear exactly how many games Harris will miss, but any missed time isn’t ideal with the Sixers’ upcoming slate of games. Over the next week, Philadelphia plays the Chicago Bulls twice, New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks. Those are three very potent offensive teams, and not having Harris on the floor will be incredibly detrimental for Philadelphia.
