Moe Harkless could start at small forward for Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers small forward Moe Harkless is a candidate for the first unit, said head coach Terry Stotts, who is keeping an "open mind" about the starting small forward gig.

What It Means:

"Certainly Moe starting last year, that's the way we finished the last 11 games and throughout he playoffs, so certainly that's a part of it," Stotts said. "But I want to keep an open mind about it." Evan Turner and Allen Crabbe are both candidates as well, but a strong April at the end of last season has apparently carried over to an impressive camp performance for Harkless.

In 14 games as a starter for the Trail Blazers last season, Harkless averaged 11.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks per contest. He ranked 81st in the league with a -0.1 nERD for the year.