The future for Maurice Harkless and Andrew Nicholson are in a major state of flux. The thought is their value is high, but they need a new situation.
The Orlando Magic are in complete flux right now.
The team is struggling, particularly on the defensive end, and looks lost as they slip further and further down the standings. Players are doing well individually and putting up solid numbers, but struggling as a unit and as a team.
It was not that this team was expected to make a Playoff push or that they were expected to be consistently good. But they were expected to be significantly better and significantly more consistent than this. The Magic have a lot of problems.
Nothing has symbolized the frustration and inconsistency more than the lack of minutes for third-year players Maurice Harkless and Andrew Nicholson.
Here are two players who have performed well in this league before seemingly incapable of getting off the bench.
Teams around the league are calling the Magic about them, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reports, but as has been hinted at before, the asking price is high.
Teams are calling the Magic to inquire about Moe Harkless. However, Rob Hennigan is asking for a ton in return (such as a first-rounder).
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) January 27, 2015
Some believe ORL will keep Harkless/Nicholson and move on from Jacque Vaughn instead to see if a new coach could get more out of those guys.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) January 27, 2015
The takeaway is that Moe Harkless is viewed very differently by Rob Hennigan and Jacque Vaughn.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) January 27, 2015
The situation with Harkless and Nicholson, whether or not these rumors prove to be true, shows the frustrating mix of the Magic trying to win now and the Magic still trying to build for the future.
As Kennedy seems to suggest, management and coaching seem to view Harkless completely differently. And the hesitancy to trade either of them could be a sign management is preparing to head in a different direction with their coaching staff.
After playing more than 75 games in each of his first two seasons, Harkless has played in only 22 games so far this season, averaging 14.5 minutes per game. He is shooting an icy 40.8 percent from the floor after a successful finish to last season. Harkless has never been given the opportunity this year to gain consistency or a rhythm.
The same can be said for Nicholson. Nicholson has appeared in only 18 games for 8.9 minutes per game. Nicholson has not had any consistent minutes at all this year. It is hard to tell if he regained any offensive confidence after his game fell off last season.
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Both of these young players did not really get their chance to grow and develop on the court. Granted, we do not see what happens at practice.
The Magic picked up their team options for their fourth year next season. What they do with these two young players at the trade deadline could very well give a clue as to this team’s future.
It might very well be that Harkless and Nicholson can both still find success in this league. . . but with a different coach and with a different team. For young players, it often is about the situation they are in that determines their success. Put in the wrong system or paired with the wrong coach can kill confidence and end careers.
The Magic have seen both Harkless and Nicholson play better than they have this year. They have earned consistent minutes in the past. It is hard to tell exactly where things have gone wrong.
It might be time for them to find a new situation one way or the other.