Sharp Tobias Harris signing quietly solves significant Spurs playoff problem

Tobias Harris isn't the NBA's flashiest signing of the summer, but he's a damn good one. The Spurs made a smart move instead of opting for a flashy one. The latter isn't in their nature, but the former is their expertise. During the recent playoff run, San Antonio often struggled to take advantage of what should have been mismatches against smaller defenders. Harris will help fix that.

Julian Champagnie, Carter Bryant, and Harrison Barnes mostly play from the wing. They want to shoot the ball or drive into the paint for a layup or dunk. That's all well and good. But sometimes, the Spurs just needed someone to throw their weight around when they got a little guy matched up on them. Harris will do that, cashing in on the easy scoring opportunities San Antonio missed before.

The playoffs exposed a problem the Spurs couldn't ignore

The Silver and Black boasted a fierce defense all season, and they carried that identity into the playoffs. Many games ended in blowouts, and opponents failed to reach 100 points more than a few times during the Spurs' miraculous run. However, the deeper you get, the more things can end up on even footing.

San Antonio may have controlled much of the NBA Finals, but their collapses involve too many scoring droughts. They made things too difficult for themselves, unable to capitalize on easy opportunities to stop the bleeding. Sometimes, it should have been as simple as walking a guy like Jalen Brunson down into the post and making a shot in the lane or forcing him to foul.

But that's not really Champagnie's or Bryant's game. It used to be something Barnes was better at in his younger days, but that hasn't been in his toolkit as much lately, and he wasn't getting much playing time anyway. Harris is going to play, and he can abuse smaller defenders when he gets those mismatches. Not to mention he's a career 87% free throw shooter in the playoffs. The Spurs need that.

Tobias Harris directly addresses Spurs' issues

Tobias doesn't have the best reputation as a playoff performer, but that's because he was signed to an overinflated max contract. He wasn't that kind of player and shouldn't have been relied on as such. But he's in the perfect scenario as a fourth or fifth option, and he's improved in the postseason over time.

The former 76ers forward is coming from a Pistons offense that lacked spacing. He'll have much more of it in San Antonio, playing with Victor Wembanyama, this black hole-inducing guard bunch, and the case of surrounding shooters.

This is a championship team with a ton of stockpiled talent. They've worked to eliminate weaknesses, and Tobias Harris may not dominate headlines, but he addresses the defined issues the Spurs dealt with during the playoffs. That's how you take the next step to getting the job done next time. So, this signing may not be flashy, but it may be remembered as one of the offseason's most important.

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