Philadelphia 76ers coach Doug Collins says he’s excited about having former St. John’s star Moe Harkless come off the bench next season.
“When you look at our team last year, once we moved Evan [Turner] into the starting lineup we didn’t have another wing,” Collins said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
“We viewed Maurice as that guy who is going to be that bigger wing coming off the bench, and we feel like now we have a guy who can do that.”
Collins said drafting the 6-foot-9 Harkless with the No. 15 pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft does not necessarily mean the team will unload Andre Iguodala. Still, one day after the draft, Iguodala sold his house on the Mainline for $1.25 million
“One doesn’t equal two there,” Collins said of the chances of unloading him. “I think that people will start reading into that and where does [Harkless fit in].”
The Sixers also have Thaddeus Young at the wing position.
Harkless played out of position at power forward last year en route to Big East Rookie of the Year honors at St. John’s, but said he’s looking forward to playing on the wing close to home in Philly.
“I see myself on the wing, but whatever it takes, or whatever coach Collins asks me to do,” Harkless told Philly.com. “I’m just excited to be here. In college I was just really focused on doing whatever the team needed me to do. I wasn’t complaining or anything, I was just doing what I had to do. I was playing against a lot of guys who were about 60 pounds heavier than me. But that was OK. Whatever they needed me to do.”
Harkless previously told SNY.tv he may move his mother, Rosa, out of Jamaica, Queens to a better life.
“I’m a waitress and a bartender,” she told Philly.com. “He told me that whenever I’m ready to stop, just stop. But I still have bills to pay, and he told me, ‘When you’re ready to stop, stop.’ But I told him I still need my own spending money and stuff and he said, ‘I can’t be in the NBA and have my mom serving drinks and waiting on tables.’ ”
Harkless joins 6-11 former Mississippi State big man Arnett Moultrie, who was dealt to Philly after being drafted at No. 27 by Miami. Moultrie averaged 16.4 points and 10.5 rebounds last season.
Collins said Moultrie outplayed John Henson (14th pick), Tyler Zeller (17), Terrence Jones (18) and Andrew Nicholson (19) during a workout.
“Arnett, to me, in five minutes [of a workout] separated himself from all….of those guys, just watching him work out,” Collins said.
Still, Moultrie showed up to meet the Sixers with a walking boot on his left foot because of a sprained ankle. He will miss the start of summer league.
Photo: Philly.com
