Tobias Harris

Detroit Pistons' Tobias Harris (34) celebrates after sinking a basket during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Auburn Hills, Mich.

(Duane Burleson | AP)

AUBURN HILLS --Tobias Harris has picked up where he left off in the preseason.

The Detroit Pistons forward not only leads his team in scoring through three games, but he's tops among the starters in shooting percentage at 56.1 percent. Aron Baynes is the only guy ahead of him, at 68.8 percent while attempting 5.3 field goals per game.

Historically, Harris is a good shooter at 46.6 percent. But he's also smart in the shots he takes, Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy says.

"I say all the time, and people talk about guys that can shoot and not shoot and look at percentages," Van Gundy said. "I don't think the percentages are as much a reflection of shooting ability as they are decision making. I really don't.

"Guys that really know what shots they can make, and they get those shots, they're going to shoot at high percentage."

The players who struggle are the ones who often force shots or take misguided shots, Van Gundy said.

Acquired by Detroit in a trade that last February that sent Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova to Orlando, Harris has been a good fit offensively.

He averaged 16.6 points and shot 47.7 percent from the floor in 27 games for the Pistons in 2015-16. Through three games this season, he's averaging 18.7 points on 56.1 percent shooting.

"It's pretty easy for him to get the shots that he can make," Van Gundy said. "He's pretty good. He can do a lot of different things. You can't take away everything that he does, and so he's just able to go to those shots."

Harris' 6-foot-9 frame often ends up in a mismatch offensively for the Pistons, who use him interchangeably at the two forward positions.

He can shoot the 3-pointer, an aspect of his game he spent the summer focused on. He's 5 for 10 from long range through three games.

"If you want to push up on him, he can drive the ball," Van Gundy said. "If you want to play back off him, he can shoot the ball. If you don't close out, he can shoot the 3. If you close hard, he'll put it on the floor.

"If you play a smaller guy on him, he'll take you on the post. If you play a bigger guy on him, he'll beat you off the dribble."

Van Gundy's only issue? Harris sometimes moves too fast, evident by the five turnovers he committed in Wednesday's season opener at Toronto.

He's been better the last two games against Orlando and Milwaukee, knocking his turnover count down to two and one, respectively, and it's still a work in progress.

"That's the one thing we talked to him about," Van Gundy said. "Just slowing himself down with the ball. But he's a very, very good offensive player."