Maurice Harkless watched the Finals and saw what the rest of us did: The Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers switched just about everything. Tristan Thompson had to chase Stephen Curry on the perimeter and Klay Thompson had to battle Kevin Love on the block. The ball movement that had created so many open 3s for both teams was not the same, and exploiting individual matchups became paramount. Harkless, who will become a free agent at 12 a.m. ET on Friday, noted that it was similar to the two playoff series the Portland Trail Blazers had just played.
Blazers coach Terry Stotts made Harkless the starting power forward late in the regular season. Harkless hung onto that role through the playoffs because of his versatility. In today's game, 4s are expected to defend 1s and make 3s. Harkless, who is 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot wingspan and moves like a guard, knows this shift is great for him.
"Really, what we're doing is just going out there playing basketball," Harkless said. "And that's what I like. I just like to hoop. I play basketball all day long. I love it. So we're just out there just hooping. Especially in the series against Golden State, a lot of times there'd be five guards on the floor or five wings on the floor for each team. At that point, you're just hooping. The positions really go out the window."
In Game 1 of the first round against the Los Angeles Clippers, Harkless was matched up against Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and roaming on defense. In the second game, he started on Chris Paul. Portland switched every pick-and-roll, so his job was complicated.
"Half of the possession, I would guard Chris Paul; half of the possession, I would guard Blake Griffin," Harkless said. "It's just different. It shows how versatile you have to be to play those positions now in this new-age NBA."
As well as seamlessly switching between guarding various All-Stars, Harkless was asked to attack the basket, score off cuts and shoot 3-pointers without hesitation. He had to compete with bigger, stronger players for rebounds. Given that the previous year he was at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. doing offseason workouts before the end of April, he was not complaining about this workload.
"It meant everything to me," Harkless said. "As a kid when you're watching playoff basketball, you picture yourself in those moments, you know? Your name being called in front of thousands of fans on the biggest stage. It was, especially in the playoffs, a crazy feeling that first game being out there, starting. And the role that I had in the playoffs was a lot different from the role I had throughout a lot of the season. They expected more out of me. They put more on my shoulders."
Portland rescued Harkless from the Orlando Magic last July. He finished a workout at IMG and a bunch of young campers ran up to him saying, "Hey, you got traded." The Magic essentially gave him away for nothing.
Harkless had been involved in a deal once before -- on draft night in 2013, the Philadelphia 76ers traded his rights to Orlando. He took the first trade personally; the second time, he was excited. The end of his Magic tenure was marked by DNP-CDs and frustration.
"It was a tough situation in Orlando," Harkless said. "Opportunities were very slim. I just kept working, just kept my head down. Sometimes it's hard to believe, but I just kept my faith. There were days where I had to call my friends and stop myself from killing one of 'em, but I had a really good support system and they helped me keep that confidence and just keep that faith that an opportunity would come."
Harkless said the Blazers all saw the preseason predictions. Four starters had departed, and they weren't supposed to even challenge for the playoffs. They ended up with 44 wins and the fifth seed, and an appearance in the second round. Harkless' role and minutes fluctuated throughout the year, but he looks back at it with only fondness.
"It was the most fun season I've had. Period. By far," Harkless said. "Even with all the ups and downs, it was still the most fun season I've had. It was amazing, like, just the energy in the locker room, at the practice facility. Everybody was excited to be there. Everybody enjoyed being around each other. It showed when we played, that's part of the reason why we were able to be so good."
Portland's success is now part of the reason why it will look different next season. Harkless, guard Allen Crabbe and big man Meyers Leonard are all restricted free agents, and swingman Gerald Henderson is unrestricted. They're all in line for raises this summer, and the Blazers are expected to try to sign an impact player like Dwight Howard. Harkless loves the organization and thinks Portland can keep improving, but he knows his return is not guaranteed in free agency.
"It's a new experience in life and it's something I haven't been through before," Harkless said. "My main thing is to be comfortable and be happy, be with a good organization with a good culture. And I want to win, obviously."
Harkless has been in the league for four years, but he still has plenty of upside. He made just 28 percent of his 3s last season and he knows he must be more consistent from long range. He's also trying to develop his post-up game so he can punish smaller defenders. His length, quickness and ability to play multiple positions means he fits on pretty much every team. He will have numerous options.
After the season ended, Harkless spent a few weeks working with Portland assistant coach Nate Tibbets. He'll train in Los Angeles and at IMG this summer. He proved to himself that he belongs in this league, and he can't wait to build on what he did in the playoffs.
"I'm just excited to go back to work and be able to get back to that stage," Harkless said.
