NBA Rumors: Tobias Harris Not Worried About Nets, Says Sixers Will Be ‘At The Top In The East’ Next Season
The 2019 NBA offseason gave birth to several powerhouse teams, including the Brooklyn Nets. After ending their three-year playoff drought in the 2018-19 NBA season, the Nets became more ambitious in upgrading their roster and succeeded in landing three superstars — Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and DeAndre Jordan — in the 2019 NBA free agency. With the “Big Three” of Irving, Durant, and Jordan, the Nets have managed to turn themselves from a mediocre team to a legitimate title contender in the Eastern Conference.
Instead of being worried about having another tough opponent in the Eastern Conference, Philadelphia 76ers power forward Tobias Harris said in an interview with Ian Begley of SportsNet New York that he likes what the Nets did this summer. Harris believes that the crazy transactions in the first two weeks of the 2019 NBA free agency, including the arrival of Kyrie Irving, Durant, and DeAndre Jordan in Brooklyn, add more thrill and excitement in the NBA.
“It’s great competition for us. I love the NBA,” Harris said. “I love how it’s balanced. I love how everyone wants to give their shot. I think the East — there’s a lot of talk about the West — but I think the East is equally having a lot of great teams and players. I think it’s going to be a great year of basketball and fun for fans to watch.”
Revamped Nets puts 76ers' Tobias Harris star on notice https://t.co/KpSfkWAQh5 pic.twitter.com/O7PWwT1cO3
— New York Post (@nypost) July 19, 2019
Despite the improvements made by the Nets and other playoff contenders in the Eastern Conference, Tobias Harris remains confident about the Sixers’ chances of contending for the NBA championship in the 2019-20 NBA season.
“We’re for sure at the top in the East,” Harris said. “With that being said, it’s the NBA. It’s hard to win games in the NBA. We know it’s going to take a lot of chemistry.”
The Sixers may have lost two of their core players — Jimmy Butler and J.J. Redick — in the 2019 NBA free agency, they still found a way to remain a competitive team in the Eastern Conference. Though they failed to convince Butler to re-sign, the Sixers didn’t lose him without getting anything in return. In a sign-and-trade deal that sent Butler to the Miami Heat, the Sixers acquired Josh Richardson, who is expected to replace Redick as their starting shooting guard next season.
The Sixers also boosted their frontcourt by signing Al Horford to a four-year, $109 million contract. If the core of Ben Simmons, Josh Richardson, Ben Simmons, Horford, and Joel Embiid continue to work together and build good chemistry, the Sixers have a strong chance of ending their decades long title drought in the 2019-20 NBA season.
