Time heals all wounds, and sometimes tough love is exactly what a player needs.
With the Orlando Magic's announcement Friday that Scott Skiles will take over as the team's head coach, a big piece of the team's long-term future was solidified. But it also brought up a question about their immediate future, particularly that of restricted free agent Tobias Harris.
Skiles coached Harris when both were with the Milwaukee Bucks, and the relationship didn't exactly seem loving. The 19th overall pick, Harris appeared in 42 games as a rookie in 2011-12, averaging 11.4 minutes and seeing little time of any consequence. The following season, he was used similarly sparingly, and shortly after Skiles left his post, Harris was dealt to the Magic, where he quickly flourished.
At his introductory press conference Friday, Skiles said the two actually have a "great relationship," and he believes Harris would agree:
I was instrumental in drafting him. Tobias is a very, very good person and a very, very good player. That combination isn't always easy to find.
...
He was just 19 years old. A lot of times, an organization will talk about patience, but sometimes all of you (media) make that very difficult.
Considering how quickly Harris became a contributor once dealt, Skiles probably could have gotten more out of him in Milwaukee. That's in the past, and what will be important for Skiles is helping make sure he gets another chance to use Harris properly, as the 22-year-old can seek an offer sheet elsewhere.
Coming off a season in which he averaged 17.1 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 36.4 percent from outside, the combo-forward stands to see an appreciable raise from the $2.4 million he made in 2014-15. His homestate New York Knicks could stand as the biggest threat to pry him free with an oversized offer, as the sides were reported to have mutual interest back in January.
