Egregious Tobias Harris criticism reeks of wild Dylan Harper take all over again

Remember when Yahoo! Sports writer Kevin O'Connor claimed the Spurs should have drafted Kon Knueppel instead of Dylan Harper, only for him to admit how very wrong he was a few months later? Well, prepare for round two. The polarizing podcaster is at it again, and this time, he has the Tobias Harris signing in his sights.

Now, opinions are like breakfast tacos. Everyone has a right to have them. But KOC is way off here. Harris has never been in a more ideal situation to fit who he is as a player, and by the time he's finished his tenure in San Antonio, O'Connor and every other naysayer will be moonwalking their negative commentary like Michael Jackson in his prime.

The Spurs don't need Tobias Harris to be a star

This is part of the problem with the perceptions surrounding Harris. He signed a max contract when he played in Philly, and when he didn't provide superstar production, his reputation took a hit. That was a 76er problem, not a Tobias problem. The native New Yorker was never meant to take on that role.

Now, as a veteran with 15 years of experience, he gets to settle into a nice little two-year $31 million deal that doesn't put any undue pressure on him. The Spurs already have plenty of star power, and their high-usage players don't usually have a ton of trouble putting the ball in the basket. That makes his low volume a plus in Mitch Johnson's system.

Spurs Nation would be highly upset if Harris walked into the building expecting to shoot the ball 18 times a night. Tobi has spent the majority of his career fitting into the needs of his current team. He'll do the same in San Antonio, and his efficiency, while considered "middling" to some, will be a welcome addition at what was a position of need for the Silver and Black.

Harris fills holes the Spurs actually have

Tobias has shot over 50% from the field on two-pointers throughout his career. He's not an extremely dominant force in the paint, though, which means those buckets are coming from the mid-range. Right now, San Antonio puts a lot of pressure on the lane and uses it to open up opportunities to launch threes.

Devin Vassell was the only one with a reliable pull-up jumpshot, capable of taking advantage of overly aggressive defenses. It's much more difficult to defend a team that has multiple three-level scorers to contend with. No more sitting on drives and threes anymore.

At times, Victor Wembanyama would make his way to the middle of the floor, but it's often to make a play for someone else or find a way to get to the rim. Harris gives the offense more optionality without needing to force-feed him to ensure he stays engaged.

As far as O'Connor's "replacement-level defender" label, it's fair to point out that Harris was just a starter on the second-best defensive team in the league, and he didn't have Stephon Castle beside him and Wembanyama behind him. He'll hold up just fine on that end. Nobody will ask him to take on the toughest assignments. All he has to do is execute in his role, and that's been his specialty.

San Antonio doesn't really sleep at the wheel. They brought Harris in to address a need and to be a piece of a larger puzzle. His skill set will make life a touch easier on his teammates. That can very well be the difference, leading to another parade on the Riverwalk where O'Connor will not be invited.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow