Seasoned Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris has struggled with his shooting this year. After a season where he averaged nearly 40 percent out of three, Harris saw that number drop significantly in his first 31 games of the 2021-2022 NBA season.
Nearly halfway through the season, Harris is shooting under 30% from three. Earlier this year, Harris’s lack of constant availability seemed to play a role in his recent troubles, as his tendency to be absent made it difficult for him to find a rhythm.
While the veteran forward has looked fit and approachable lately as he has played in 17 straight games and hasn’t missed a straight game since the end of November, it was recently revealed that this is not necessarily the case.
On Tuesday night, the 66ers released an early injury report ahead of Wednesday night’s game against the Charlotte Hornets. While there were several expected names on the report, Harris was a new addition.
Although Harris was listed as likely as he would likely play, it was unclear where his sudden shoulder pain came from. As it turns out, Harris’s pain isn’t sudden at all, as the lingering soreness forced him to undergo an MRI after Monday’s game against the Houston Rockets.
Latest news on the Harris situation
In the run-up to Philadelphia game night, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that Tobias Harris is struggling with tendinitis in his right shoulder. Despite the pain, Haynes made it clear that Harris should not miss even once.
Of course, the Sixers allowed Harris to operate a couple of hours before the start of the operation.
Harris checked in within 36 minutes Wednesday night. He used 43 percent of his shots for 17 points. After the game, the veteran discussed his setback and said it wasn’t exactly a recent occurrence, as he hit himself on the shoulder during Philadelphia’s game against the Jazz on November 16.
“It happened early in the season when we were on the road in Utah,” Harris said. “I sort of followed it. Since then, it’s one of those things that I feel every single day, but you can play with pain.”
While Harris will play through the pain, the soreness doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. So he could explore other treatment options in the future to make sure he gets the right body without missing a single game right now.
“When the time comes, I will probably think about what can be done for this,” Harris finished. “Right now, I can handle it. In many games this escalated again. It’s not something to make or break, it’s just an annoying pain. Especially if someone hits him or after a night’s sleep, I feel it the most. ”
With Harris off the injury report ahead of Friday’s game against the Boston Celtics, the veteran forward is ready to go. However, just because he’s playing doesn’t mean the pain will go away anytime soon.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for real-time updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
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