The Orlando Magic acquired Maurice Harkless in the four-team Dwight Howard trade and although he has shown promise, he doesn’t really have a defined role.
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According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, Harkless is having a good offseason and should be a much better player next season.
"As for his mechanics… yes on his handle and yes on his shooting. A couple of comments on both — Mo has crazy long-gangly arms, that’s going to impact handle and release. His trainers have worked him on getting his shot off and using his arm length as a tool in his shooting motion. You’ll notice he has added this little kickout move in his jump shot form which allows him to get vertical and use his arms and body in the air. Its a very good look for him, very Kevin Durant-ish.The one thing I noticed and I have been around Mo a lot is how much more controlled he is. The expression I use is “tight” his motions are very compact and controlled. Keep in mind Mo just turned 21, so he’s still a baby in NBA terms. Victor Oladipo just turned 22, so think about that when you gauge where you think Mo should be."
The Magic have plenty of swingmen know so improvement from Harkless could be key if he wants to carve out a full-time starting role.
Harkless averaged 7.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.0 assists per game while shooting 46.4% from the field, 38.3% from beyond the arc and 59.4% from the free throw line. Harkless played more as a rookie, making 59 starts and playing 26.0 minutes per game, than he did in his second NBA season, when he made 41 starts and played 24.4 minutes per games. In that rookie year, he put up 8.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 0.7 assists per game but shot just 46.1% from the floor, 27.4% from three and 57.0% from the charity stripe. However, Harkless’ improved three-point shooting combined with his length on defense could make him a valuable player.
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