With the win over the Orlando Magic, the Pistons have officially won more games than they had all of last season. Last year, the Pistons went 14-68, and they managed to top that by Game 33 of this season. Tobias Harris has provided some solid veteran mentorship and help for this young Pistons team and earned a new nickname.
Tobias Harris Reveals His Pistons Nickname
Following the win against the Orlando Magic, Tobias Harris talked with GameTime and revealed his new Pistons nickname.
“They call me Uncle T around here. I have to kind of tell these guys that I’m not really that much older than you. But, you know, the reality does hit you in the face sometimes when they’re reaching their 21st birthday.”
Fun fact: Tobias is not the oldest guy on the roster. That would be Tim Hardaway Jr ., who is also 32 years old, but he was born in March. Tobias is born in July, making him a few months younger. Both of them have tried to help the young stars in Detroit develop winning habits and culture. Speaking to GameTime, Tobias said,
“It first off starts with the young talent here. Then adding vets like myself, Tim Hardaway, Malik Beasley, and a brand new staff. We kind of try to come in here and change it, the right culture, the right winning habits. We have a lot of potential defensively with the wings that we have. The talent pool is here with this group, these young guys they work their tails off.”
Harris talked about how much these young guys love to listen and learn. He said,
“What I really just tell the group is day by day, work on your craft, put the time in, get your recovery, get your rest, and be prepared every single morning. So, it’s just habits, just really make sure that you’re getting your sleep and recovery and always keeping your game tight every single day. They listen, very eager to learn. Very easy to say something, and have them react and put it into their routine day by day.”
Shooting the Key To Pistons’ Success
Tobias Harris has seen his production take a dip this season, but he is playing behind two young stars, Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey . While his shooting numbers and percentage are down, the Pistons, as a team, are shooting better than last year. Now, their improvement might be small, but in the NBA, every small improvement counts.
The new staff put the emphasis on improving three-point shooting , and the results are in. New President of Basketball Operations, Trajan Langdon, and coach J.B. Bickerstaff invested in equipment, but also in time and training.
The Pistons have seen an improvement in their field goal percentage and three-point percentage. Last year, they were 24th in field goal percentage and 26th in three-point percentage, shooting 46.3% from the floor and 34.8% from behind the arc. This year, they are shooting 46.7% from the floor, good for 11th in the league, and 36.3% from behind the arc, good for 16th in the league.
Their two young stars have led the way. Cunningham is shooting 37.2% from behind the arc, up from 35.5%, and Ivey is shooting 40.9% from behind the arc, up from 33.6% last year. Malik Beasley and his 41.3% shooting from behind the arc helps as well.
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