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Tobias Harris on flaws: 'I know the type of player I can become'

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Tobias Harris has advice for anyone in need of introspection: Do it right, or don't do it at all.

"I'ma always keep it 100," Harris told ESPN's Scoop Jackson in a Q-and-A this week when asked about his upfront and honest self-reflection in an earlier interview with Grantland's Zach Lowe. "Just with my game. Because I know I'm not a perfect player and I know the type of player I can become."

Throughout both interviews, Harris was at once critical of the areas of his game that need improvement and resoundingly confident in his chances of achieving greatness. The Orlando Magic bet on Harris keeping it 100 on the work-ethic scale, signing him to a reported four-year, $64-million deal this offseason.

Lowe pointed out in his Harris profile how some around the league are skeptical that he can make good on that deal, but said there's a lot to like in Harris' game - enough that it's conceivable he becomes an impact player.

In particular, Lowe asked Harris about the perceived flaws in his game, and Harris was forthright about them.

"It's always, 'Oh, why doesn't he pass more?'" Harris said. "And everybody wants to talk about my defense. I'm not the best defensive player. I'm not gonna tell it to you like that. But if we were winning more games, people would talk about me differently."

The Magic should win more games in 2015-16, as they have plenty of intriguing young pieces and a new coach known for turning teams around quickly in Scott Skiles. They also may be a year away from all of the talent developing and meshing to the point of competing for a playoff spot, so the discourse around Harris may not change just yet.

That's something Harris seems to understand, acknowledging to Jackson that developing into winners is a process:

I do believe that. I believe you have to learn how to win. And that just doesn't come from going out on the basketball court and playing. That comes from hours and hours of preparation, preparation before that game, preparation for the other team you are playing, mental preparation. I think that a lot of guys on our team realized that last year. And that's something that is only going to help us.

Harris has taken major strides in each of his four seasons, and doing so again in his fifth year could go a long way toward raising the Magic's ceiling. He averaged 17.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in 2014-15, shooting 46.6 percent from the floor and 36.4 percent from outside, and posting career-best offensive efficiency metrics.

And if he doesn't take another step forward, at least he'll keep it 100.

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