NBA Free Agency 2016: 5 Targets for Los Angeles Clippers
By Jaylyn Cook
3. Maurice Harkless (SF)
Speaking of men who can do both, the Clippers saw plenty of this potential signee during the 2016 Playoffs when he and the Blazers served them four piping hot L’s. Coming off the bench, Harkless averaged 6.4 points per game (on 47 percent shooting) while contributing .6 steals in 18 minutes of play.
He’s only three seasons removed from averaging a career high 1.2 steals a game with the Orlando Magic during his rookie campaign. With the right coaching and atmosphere, he appears to be poised to take the next step of his eventual ascension to an NBA starter.
Jeff Green, the Clippers’ current starting small forward, is an unrestricted free agent this off-season. While Doc still regards Green as one of the “favorite” players that he’s coached, it doesn’t justify his inconsistent, sometimes limp-noodley play of recent memory.
Quite frankly, it’s time for Doc to cut the cord on him, the (hopefully) retiring Paul Pierce, and any other player that had a once promising career with Doc as their coach. (That means you too, Big Baby.)
By bringing the 23-year-old Harkless aboard the Clipper ship, Doc will get a young, promising two-way athlete who’s coachable and wouldn’t have any problem adjusting to the hard-nosed, championship-bound culture that he wants (and desperately needs) to build around his team.
Next: 2. Joakim Noah