NBA: 10 relative unknowns approaching defining seasons in 2018-19
3. Maurice Harkless, Portland Trail Blazers
It’s not hyperbole to wonder if Maurice Harkless might be the linchpin that elevates the Portland Trail Blazers to another level, or the grenade pin that forces the front office to blow the whole thing up. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are pretty much are they who they are, and though Jusuf Nurkic still has room to grow, last year felt about as good as Rip City’s stars were going to get.
The Blazers earned the 3-seed in a competitive West, but they only won 49 games and were swept in the first round. At that point, it became obvious Lillard needed more help other than just McCollum. The core was inherently flawed, needing a two-way wing capable of making an impact on the defensive end, spreading the floor or attacking off the bounce on offense.
After averaging 10.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game on .503/.351/.621 shooting splits in 2016-17, it seemed like Mo Harkless was ready to break out as that wing/small-ball 4 hybrid Portland needed. Instead, he took a major step backward, averaging 6.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game as Terry Stotts slashed his minutes and demoted him to bench duty.
At 25 years old, there’s still the opportunity for a bounce-back year in 2018-19, but this season is something of a make-or-break moment before he becomes an expiring contract in 2019-20. Can Harkless prove he and this Blazers core haven’t reached their ceiling yet, or will he be the poster child of Neil Olshey’s misplaced faith in internal development?