The Philadelphia 76ers' elimination loss to the New York Knicks has many assessing blame to different players.
But the most consistent point of criticism is toward forward Tobias Harris, who scored zero points in Game 6 with just four rebounds and three assists. Harris averaged just nine points in the series, which is extremely underwhelming for the third option in Philadelphia.
Fans rekindled the memes of Jimmy Butler trolling the 76ers for "choosing Harris over him."
The 76ers traded Butler in 2019 while signing Harris to a five-year, $180 million contract. Since this trade, Butler has led the Miami Heat to two NBA Finals, while the Sixers have failed to make it past the second round. During this span, Harris has played nowhere near to what is contract illustrates, while Butler has elevated his game and arguably changed the trajectory of his career.
Tyrese Maxey had a below-average performance with just 17 points, leaving Joel Embiid in need of assistance from Harris. If the Sixers forward had just 10 points, the results would arguably be different, which is a low bar from someone making $36 million/year.
The Sixers and Heat's seasons are both over, with both expected to unload major players to compete again next postseason.
Well, maybe not Miami. I have a gut feeling that they'll just run it back with the same roster.
Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
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