Tobias Harris: 19.3 pts, 6.7 reb, 3.0 ast
GRADE: A
Outside of that ugly stretch of shooting to start the year off, Tobias Harris has been exactly what the Sixers have needed him to be. He’s second on the team in scoring, is shooting the three at nearly 36%, and trails just Ben Simmons in terms of 2P% (among qualified players).
For some strange reason, fans have been incredibly harsh when evaluating Harris. Maybe it’s the big extension he received this offseason? Or maybe it’s just having unreasonable expectations. Regardless, his criticisms have been unwarranted.
Tobi might not be dropping 30+ each night, but he’s been scoring the rock with incredible efficiency. Only three other small forwards in the NBA are shooting over both 47.5% from the field and 35% from three, while averaging 19+ ppg.
Harris has also seen his game develop into more than just being a pure scorer. He’s repeatedly shown the ability to be the Sixers’ “closer”, and his defense has taken monumental leaps from just last year alone.
An All-Star type year in my books.
Matisse Thybulle: 4.9 pts, 1.6 reb, 1.3 ast
GRADE: B+
Obviously, those numbers above don’t tell the full story. First-round draft pick Matisse Thybulle leads all rookies in steals with 57, and also ranks 4th in blocks with 33. Unsurprisingly he has the most total blocks/steals of any rookie in the NBA, and many have begun calling him the steal of the draft.
Thybulle is also tied for 15th amongst all NBA players with 1.5 steals per game.
Thybulle has been absolutely electric on the defensive end of things for the Sixers this season. His ability to hunt the basketball and get a hand on it is something you just can’t teach. He’s proven that he can guard the best of them, as the Sixers have repeatedly matched him up with the opponent’s best ball handler.
While Thybulle has somewhat struggled to show any elite offensive abilities, there’s plenty of reasons to believe he’ll develop them over time.
James Ennis: 6.3pts, 3.3reb, 0.9ast
GRADE: C-
Entering into the 2019/2020 season, many fans expected James Ennis to really slot into that sixth man role. Just a few months later, and the six-year veteran has all but been completely phased out of the rotation.
Ennis has really struggled to find any sort of rhythm this year. He’s not been overly productive on offense, and has really been a noticeable weak point on the defensive end of things. While he is in fact shooting 36.3% from three (which isn’t awful), he simply doesn’t shoot them with enough volume to be a reliable “go-to” shooting option off the bench.
With Furkan Korkmaz exploding into his new role, and the trade rumors heating up by the day, Ennis’ days as a 76er could be numbered.
Mike Scott: 5.6 pts, 3.4 reb, 0.6 ast
GRADE: D-
Mike Scott is one of the most likeable athletes in the city of Philadelphia, but boy has he really fallen off in 2020.
The Sixers really were banking on Scott being a legit shooting option off the bench this year. They prioritized bringing him back this offseason and frequently turned to him off the bench early in the schedule. However, for whatever reason, Scott has really hit rock bottom in terms of his jumpshot. Scott is shooting just 34% from beyond the arc, a career-low since all the way back in 2014.
Scott has also struggled defensively this season and can’t seem to find any shots closer to the rim either. Like Ennis, Scott may be a name the Sixers look to move at the impending trade deadline.
Jonah Bolden
GRADE: N/A
Bolden has played in just three actual NBA games this season. That’s way too small of a sample size to give him a fair grade on. However, he did play quite a bit against the Nets recently and looked absolutely horrendous.
Just sayin’.
*If you missed the first installment of our Sixers midseason report card, check it out here: Sixers Midseason Report Card: Grading the Guards.*
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
