Detroit Pistons' Tobias Harris nears return after COVID-19, encouraged by preseason

The Detroit Pistons’ big offseason acquisition hasn’t made his preseason debut yet.

Blame COVID-19, which Tobias Harris said is “no joke” as he addressed the media after practice on Thursday. The veteran forward is feeling better and could be back for the Pistons’ road game against the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.

If he does return, he should fit seamlessly into an offense that, through two games, has shown promise. The system asks for constant motion — pushing the ball after grabbing the rebound, setting pin-down screens, cutting from the weakside.

In Sunday’s blowout win over the Milwaukee Bucks, players moved on a string and the Pistons finished with 31 assists and just 12 turnovers. Tuesday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns at Breslin Center revealed that there’s still growth ahead as the team adjusts to learning its third system in as many years.

But Harris is encouraged by what he’s seen so far.

“The energy for the group has been good, just implementing what we’ve been learning throughout the whole training camp, adapting to the new system, defensive intensity I thought has been good,” Harris said. “The ball movement has been good. The difference between Game 1 and 2, the second half we got a little mentally fatigued, too many mental mistakes. Just execution-wise, didn’t really get the type of energy and pop that we were bringing in the first half there.

“But overall, from both games there are a lot of tools to lean on. Got great pieces, got a physical team and just gotta impose our will and be physical as a whole group and knock down our shots and defend and communicate. Been impressed with the group. Obviously been watching from afar. Stinks to be away. COVID ain’t no joke.”

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The Pistons’ offense sank on Tuesday after an encouraging start. They knocked down their first seven shots and ended the opening quarter with nine assists on 11 made field goals. Through the second and third quarters, they tallied 10 assists and 11 turnovers, and shot 13-for-45 (28.9%) overall.

To be fair, they were without Cade Cunningham in the second half due to rest. They also rallied in the fourth, outscoring the Suns 31-22, with 10 assists and a single turnover, as both teams rolled with bench units.

But they couldn’t overcome a deficit that grew to 21 toward the end of the third quarter.

“It kinda went back to what that would look like last year,” Jalen Duren said on Thursday. “Can’t win like that. That’s something that we have to be better with if we want to be successful.”

In short, the Pistons looked like a team that could use a Tobias Harris.

The veteran forward, of course, can shoot and score, but he's also a good passer with a low turnover rate. That’s multiple holes filled for a Pistons team that’s struggled in both areas.

“Obviously we’ve been doing it in practice amongst each other,” he said. “That type of ball movement, that type of body movement on the floor, on the offensive end is huge. Just guys being versatile out there. For a guy like myself, being able to catch and shoot, being able to find passing lanes for different guys for open looks and being aggressive and using my size and speed to punish the little guys, or blow by slower forwards, that’s been the name of the game my whole career.”

Three preseason games remain, with the Pistons facing the Suns and Golden State Warriors on the road Friday and Sunday before hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. Four starters have been consistent through preseason so far — Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Simone Fontecchio and Jalen Duren.

Harris will be the fifth when he returns, and the coaching staff will soon have a clearer picture of what the team can accomplish with its, at least on paper, most versatile lineup.

“It’s just figuring out different guys, personnel-wise on the floor, how they complement each other and how we can make the game easy for each other,” Harris said. “Otherwise thought we’ve been doing a really good job with that. I think everybody in the first two games can see the energy this team is gonna come with, the excitement. Overall just the grit that we have to have as a whole group to be successful.”

Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com . Follow him @omarisankofa .

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons' Tobias Harris nears return after COVID-19, encouraged by preseason