Last season, after the Memphis Grizzlies dismantled the Portland Trail Blazers in the opening round of the Western Conference Playoffs, the Blazers front office had to make a decision of sticking with the aging starting unit of Wes Matthews, Nicolas Batum, Robin Lopez and LaMarcus Aldridge or make drastic changes and start all over again. They decided to go with the latter.
The Blazer’s star player last year also happened to be their youngest in Damian Lillard. Lillard, 25, enters his fourth season as the Blazers starting point guard and this season is radically different from the first three. With no other reliable scorers other than maybe shooting guards CJ McCollum and Gerald Henderson, Lillard may have to open up shots for other players by passing it off of drives or dumping it off to players on the wing. This is where the new addition of Maurice “Moe” Harkless comes into play.
Harkless is a Skilled Small Forward who Strives at Attacking the Basket/ Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Harkless, a 6’8” 208 pound small forward, is primed for a breakout season. The 22-year-old from St. John’s University got off to a fast start his rookie season after being traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Orlando Magic. Harkless put up a line of 8.2 points/4.4 rebounds/.7 assists per game in 26 minutes per game. I did a lttle more thorough research and put up the statistics on what his averages were when he played more than 40 minutes per game. Turns out that he averaged 16.7/6.7/1.3 in games where he played 40+ minutes in his rookie season. These aren’t All-Star figures, but they show that given the right amount of minutes Harkless can put up nice numbers.
Harkless is another guy on the Blazers offense that doesn’t have a lot of moves, but just always seems to be at the right place at the right time. Whether it be on an offensive rebound, receiving a pass from around the basket or reaping the benefits of a kick out.
Harkless may be the biggest benefactor, out of all the new acquisitions, when playing with Lillard. Lillard can take Harkless’ offensive game to new heights with all the defensive attention he demands. All this attention can leave Harkless alone one-on-one with his man, leading to a mismatch since Harkless is taller than most small forwards and quicker than other power forwards.
In this video, Harkless uses his strength to bully former MVP Kevin Durant. After he gets the ball he uses the screen wisely and uses a hesitation dribble that freezes Durant. He then performs a crossover that makes Durant cross his feet. In that time he creates enough separation to shoot the ball. Although he misses his first shot, his momentum carries him towards the basket and forces Durant underneath the hoop, giving him a better chance of making the ball go in.
The next possession has nothing to do with Harkless’ offensive skill set, but his will and relentlessness to pursue the offensive rebound. As Durant stands flat footed watching the offensive player shoot, Harkless attacks the basket, giving himself an easy layup.
In this next video Harkless is once again guarded by Durant. The first possession is a simple one on one in the short corner. Durant hand’s are down making it easier for Harkless to see the basket. Harkless probably already has in his mind that he is going to shoot it and jab steps, to give himself some space, before he pulls the trigger over Durant.
In the next possession, since Durant just had a jumper in his face, he decides to close out harder. Harkless, being smart on offense, senses the hard close out and blows by Durant for an easy dunk over the late helper Serge Ibaka.
The following possession is all Beno Udrih. He pulls the defense to the right side of the court and Harkless stays put behind the arc. Durant, being one of the defenders in help, does not have enough time to close out, leaving a wide open three for Harkless.
The last clip may be the most impressive, considering the limited times Harkless performs it. Harkless grabs the rebound and first looks to pass it to a more suitable guard. The only one around him is knocked down. Anticipating an opening, Harkless starts to bring the ball up the court himself. He continues to do this as no one stops him benefiting from the screen his big sets on Durant and scores the layup.
All this being said Harkless is still behind Al-Farouq Aminu on the depth chart for the Small Forward position. Aminu’s biggest strength is his defense. He can protect the rim pretty well for his position and has to guard the best player on other teams on most nights. For Harkless to surpass Aminu on the depth chart he has to put up better shooting numbers. Harkless has a career .309% three point shooting average below the league average of .350% last year, according to Basketball Reference. Another way for Harkless to get more minutes is outplaying Aminu on the defensive end. This is easier said than done because of the matchup situation every given night, but to at least slow down an All-Star might be enough to see more court time.
Harkless Must Model Batum to Succeed in Blazers System/Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Incorporating Harkless’ offensive game into the lineup may be easier than expected. Harkless’ game models that of former Small Forward Nicolas Batum. Batum is the more complete player on the offensive end as he averages more assists and rebounds per game, but they are both strong on spot up shooting and transition. They also have the same type of build as long and lanky, which benefits them on the defensive end. Batum was known, as was Matthews, as one of Portland’s lock down defenders, someone who could guard anyone on the other team and slow them down while sacrificing themselves on the offensive end. Harkless may mold into this character, as the Blazers thrived when Batum played his part.
Harkless is still young at 22 years old and can still be a major weapon in the NBA someday. What the Blazers are hoping to do with him, as many other young players on their roster, is transform them into players that genuinely fit their into their system. Harkless resembles Batum, as Noah Vonleh may resemble an Aldridge in the future if his offensive game gets more refurbished. The Blazers may be starting over with all this young talent but they certainly are not tanking.