Portland Trail Blazers: 2017-18 player grades for Maurice Harkless

Final grade

After a promising 2016-17, Maurice Harkless just couldn’t match those numbers in 2017-18.

When things were good, Harkless went a long way toward opening up the Blazers’ offense. His ability to knock down 3-pointers at a career-high clip kept defenses honest and gave star Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum more space and options to work with.

Defensively, he could chase shooters off of the perimeter and disrupt passing lanes with his length. If he got his intercepted a pass in the open court, he could make opponents pay with a dunk in transition.

Unfortunately, things weren’t good most of the time. Inconsistency and injury marred Harkless’ season. He was ruled inactive for a game more times (14) than he scored double-digits (13).

Luckily, Maurice Harkless still has that 3-and-D skill-set that Portland sorely needs. He is only 25 years old and under contact through 2019-20. Here’s hoping that he will be able to bounce back next season.

Next: 2018 NBA Mock Draft - Doncic still No. 1 in post-lottery edition

Grade: C-