The Portland Trail Blazers are the midst of a fantastic season. They currently own a record of 36-23 and sit at fourth place in the Western Conference. Players like Jake Layman and Jusuf Nurkic have taken their games to new levels, and newcomers such as Rodney Hood and Enes Kanter have not disappointed. However, the disappointing play of Maurice Harkless has been an interesting footnote in an otherwise positive season.
Harkless struggled with a knee injury and only appeared in 10 games during the first two months of the season. With Harkless out, Jake Layman was inserted into the starting lineup and the Blazers were very successful with him on the floor.