Just wondering, how was Moe Harkless a starter for 3 years in Portland?

[GrindCityHustle]

This was a cool story involving him and his contract incentives on 3 pointers.

https://nypost.com/2017/04/13/blazers-forward-stops-shooting-3s-and-gets-500k-reward/?utm_source=url_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site%20buttons&utm_campaign=site%20buttons

[jehosafats]

There's a reason Mo, Turner and Leonard are all gone. I’ll leave it at that. The fact we upgraded all these positions too makes it hilarious everybody has Portland outside of the West Top 4 somehow.

I like their chances this season, but they may still need brawn down the stretch. As great as Dame and CJ were in the playoffs, you saw Kanter was a major liability, especially against the Warriors. Outside of Bazemore and Hood there isn't much I can say about the changes they've made on the wing, but Whiteside and Little are good additions. With size up front the sky is the limit for maybe the coldest back court in the league.

[johanliebert]

Lmao.

You only got one ball and dame/cj in the SL. Mo was a versatile defender a good compliment to them.

Not every starter needs to score in the double digits

[UcanUwill]

We had quite a few players who are 3-4 hybrids who didnt translate to the NBA at all. Like Perry Jones III. Why didnt he translate, but Moe Harkless did, is Moes lateral quicks on defense just better, or he was in the right place on the right time.

[The_Hater]

His points, rebounds, assists were all really really low as a starter. So it confuses me how Portland started him for so long.

This is hardly the best example of a bad NBA starter over the past couple of years.

[Masterfully]

As others have said, Portland didn’t have great options at SF. It was a grab bag of flawed players. So why did Moe start? Because he would pout and disappear when he didn’t start. If they wanted any production out of Moe he had to start.

I love Moe and wish him well. But I’m very curious to see how he’ll fit into the rotation in LA. I have doubts.

[Effigy]

There's a reason Mo, Turner and Leonard are all gone. I’ll leave it at that. The fact we upgraded all these positions too makes it hilarious everybody has Portland outside of the West Top 4 somehow.

If we improved, it was only marginally. Utah, the Lakers and Clippers all improved significantly, and I wouldn't be surprised if all 3 jumped us.

Last season Denver and Golden State finished above us. The Warriors will be significantly worse this year, but I don't see any reason to think Denver drops off, so pencil them ahead of us.

Also, the finishes last year were razor thin, as they have been for years. The 8 seed and 2 seed were seperated by 6 games. So not much of a difference between the teams, random luck plays a big part in how things shake out. Last season Portland abused the Eastern conference to a 24-6 record. Do you see us replicating that? Because if we don't, we need to make up those wins in the West.

So I have us at the 5 seed. Could finish slightly higher or lower depending on circumstance, but 5 sounds right. I don't think fans of any team should be offended by where their teams are projected to finish. The projections don't matter at all. Last season, ESPN projected us to finish 10th, and the Lakers 6th. But instead, the Lakers finished 10th and we finished 3rd.

Denver were overachievers last year and their role players won't have same RS like last year, it was obvious in the PO that those players aren't that good. 4-5 seed this year is maximum what they can get .

They're a young team, I really see no reason to think they won't keep improving. They were good in the playoffs, just very young. It was the first time that group had made the playoffs and their inexperience showed.

[Teal25]

There's a reason Mo, Turner and Leonard are all gone. I’ll leave it at that. The fact we upgraded all these positions too makes it hilarious everybody has Portland outside of the West Top 4 somehow.

For real the Blazers got so much better and didn’t have to give up any assets. If Dame and CJ don’t go cold throughout the playoffs like they did in the Warriors series I can see them getting to the finals.

[Antinomy]

Isn't he kind of a "fake" starter? I mean he averages like 20 mpg, and Evan Turner is around 25 mpg during those years.

The thing is they have two ball handlers starting at the backcourt, they really don't need Turner there. Harkless' defense and hustle is much better suited for the starting lineup.

One thing strange I find about Harkless is his 3pt% went up to 41% in one year then 27% the next. Any reason for that volatility, POR fans?

Not a Blazer fan but from what I remember, he had a clause in his contract where if he shot a certain percentage from 3 he got a bonus. I specifically remember one year when he stopped shooting 3s after he hit 35% for the year in the last month of the season.

[ken6199]

Isn't he kind of a "fake" starter? I mean he averages like 20 mpg, and Evan Turner is around 25 mpg during those years.

The thing is they have two ball handlers starting at the backcourt, they really don't need Turner there. Harkless' defense and hustle is much better suited for the starting lineup.

One thing strange I find about Harkless is his 3pt% went up to 41% in one year then 27% the next. Any reason for that volatility, POR fans?

Not a Blazer fan but from what I remember, he had a clause in his contract where if he shot a certain percentage from 3 he got a bonus. I specifically remember one year when he stopped shooting 3s after he hit 35% for the year in the last month of the season.

https://www.sbnation.com/2017/4/12/15273142/moe-harkless-500000-bonus-three-point-percentage-trail-blazers
Almost forgot about this one, good catch. And he shot like 17% from 3 in the Warriors series in the playoffs. It was the 16-17 season.

The reason I remember his shooting in the 17-18 season is not only him, Aminu and Myers Leonard were both shooting at a career high clip at the same time. Not something you see often between those 3 guys.