Harkless finally gained some traction during the 2016-17 campaign, starting 69 of the 77 games he took part in. He split time between both forward spots and that versatility allowed him to average 28.9 minutes per game, which was a huge increase from the 18.7 he averaged a year prior. The bump in playing time ultimately allowed Harkless to post career highs of 10.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists, while also chipping in as a solid defender with 1.1 steals per game. The improvement with his shot was especially encouraging, as he jumped from 47.4 percent from the field and 27.9 percent from the three-point line, to 50.3 percent and 35.1 percent, respectively. That growth as a floor-spacing big man currently has Harkless sitting as a favorite to open the season as the team's starting power forward, although that could certainly change depending on how training camp plays out. Guys like Al-Farouq Aminu and Noah Vonleh saw brief stints as a starter last season and rookie Caleb Swanigan looked very impressive during summer league as well, which could threaten some of Harkless' workload at power forward. Still, Harkless' ability to play both forward spots likely means a similar role for the upcoming campaign.