Harris is Mr. Consistency

The Detroit Pistons have endured a topsy-turvy season, but at least they’ve been able to depend on

Harris has been consistent even though his role has fluctuated all season long.

“He’s played well both as a starter and coming off the bench,” Pistons coach

said. “He’s played well both as a three and as a four. There’s really no difference. I would say the thing with Tobias is he’s been our most consistent guy, and that consistency goes across the board.”

Harris entered the Pistons’ game Friday night against the Orlando Magic as the Pistons’ leading scorer, averaging 16.3 points per game.

“Obviously, you want to win more games and be in better position [in the standings],” Harris said. “But at the same time, I think I’ve been doing a good job of adapting to the roles and just playing hard and trying to do the best I can do for us to win games.”

On Friday, Harris played at Amway Center for the first time this season and for the second time since the Magic traded him to the Pistons on Feb. 16, 2016, for and

During his days with the Magic, Harris mentored students at Nap Ford Community School and Howard Middle School. He secured tickets for seven of the children to attend Friday’s game, and he’ll invite the rest of his former mentees to attend the Pistons-Magic game on April 12.

Harris entered Friday shooting 33.7 percent from 3-point range this season.

“I look forward to him still taking big steps forward over the next couple of years,” Van Gundy said. “He’s only 24 years old. I think he continues to get better, and I think he’s got the potential to be a 18-, 19-, 20-point-a-game guy with good efficiency. I think the next step for him is being a more consistent 3-point shooter.”

was in the Magic’s starting lineup Friday even though the Magic listed him as questionable to play because of a sore left hip.

An opposing player hit Gordon in the hip with an elbow during the Magic’s victory Monday over the Philadelphia 76ers, and Gordon felt pain before and during the Magic’s loss Wednesday to the Hornets.

Forward missed his second consecutive game due to back spasms. Van Gundy gave

a strong endorsement Friday after Yahoo! Sports reported that Ewing is being considered for the vacant head-coaching position at Ewing’s alma mater, Georgetown University.

Ewing worked as a Magic assistant coach throughout Van Gundy’s five-year tenure in Orlando.

“He’d obviously do a great, great job,” Van Gundy said. “I think people would be lining up to go play for him. You think [for] almost any big kid in the country that would be their number-one choice almost immediately, and he’d be great. But whether he’s interested or not, I don’t have any idea.

“He’s a guy that has really spent a lot of time working at it. [He] didn’t want to be just a big-man guy, didn’t want to be sort of the ‘NBA guy’ who’s just trying to get in the heads of guys. He wanted to do all the X-and-O stuff, all the game-plan stuff, all the game-prep stuff, teach on the court, coach on the court. He can coach guards as well as bigs. He’s not limited. He’s a guy who’s worked hard to become a very good basketball coach, period.”

Van Gundy stressed he hadn’t spoken to Ewing recently and didn’t know whether Ewing has interest in the Georgetown job. Georgetown fired

on Thursday after 13 seasons.

Ewing is the Charlotte Hornets’ associate head coach. Van Gundy decided to start former Magic reserve at point guard for consecutive over the second game Friday.

Jackson missed all of November with a left-knee injury. Since his return on Dec. 4, Jackson hasn’t been as effective as he normally is. In fact, the Pistons have tended to play better this season with Smith at point guard.

Van Gundy said he hasn’t decided whether Smith will remain the starter.