Trez wild. The Montrezl Harrell appreciation thread.

[doclinkin]

Since the site ate the last one, here is a re-start to this thread.

Going Wild in summer pro-am leagues.

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He has stated he wants to be an all-star. Here he can potentially battle for starting minutes. HIs handle is good enough that with shooters on all sides he can blow past any Big who challenges him in the pick and roll. If they trap hard to stop Brad or D-widdie he can take a dribble hand off and attack the paint solo. Basically acting as his own guard in P&R situations. HIs FTA/36 were equivalent to John Wall this year, and the prior year among all centers only Embiid and Unibrow had higher free throw attempts per 36. We can soften up opposing defenses by forcing fouls on their starting defenders with these 3 driving into the paint.

[queridiculo]

Can't wait to root for him in a Wizards uniform.

Fella brings some much needed attitude and interior muscle, and while his game has repeatedly fizzled out in the playoffs I'd be perfectly content with having him help this team over the 50 win hump.

I'm really loving the versatility the Wizards have at center and PF between Gafford, Harrell, Kuzma, Bertans and Hachimura and I'd love to see how Harrell is going to push Gafford in those scrimmages.

If Beal can stay healthy and Dinwiddie finds his groove I could see Washington shock the league much like the Knicks did last year.

[payitforward]

Harrell is a very good player, no doubt about it. & you cite his intense motivation. He's not very versatile, & he hasn't done well in the playoffs. But he is dxmned good all the same.

The only problem he presents for us is that he isn't as good as Bryant or Gafford. Then again, Bryant won't be ready at the beginning of the season, & that make Trez a big plus in the short term. If we are able to trade him once Bryant is back, I would expect to get a pretty good return.

Of course, we could trade Bryant instead -- depending on how much more he got back, that would be fine. But, it would have to be a significant difference, because Bryant is much younger than Trez & earlier in his development. He's a more valuable asset.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Why can't Montrezl play PF? He's better than Hachimura.

[payitforward]

Can't wait to root for him in a Wizards uniform.

Fella brings some much needed attitude and interior muscle, and while his game has repeatedly fizzled out in the playoffs I'd be perfectly content with having him help this team over the 50 win hump....

Whoa there, cowboy!! Maybe we should get to 40 wins first?

...I'm really loving the versatility the Wizards have at center and PF between Gafford, Harrell, Kuzma, Bertans and Hachimura and I'd love to see how Harrell is going to push Gafford in those scrimmages....

Wow -- tho it's no surprise! -- Thomas Bryant goes unmentioned!

...If Beal can stay healthy and Dinwiddie finds his groove I could see Washington shock the league much like the Knicks did last year.

What makes predicting this season extremely difficult -- for me at least -- is that we were two entirely different teams last year: first we went 17-32, then we went 17-6.

Ok, the 17-6 team had a relatively soft schedule. But, come on -- those were NBA teams we played!

What I think won't be easily accepted here is just how incredibly well Russell Westbrook played last year once he was healthy. I.e. how very much his play contributed to that late season success.

Mostly it won't be easily accepted, because about the same time Westbrook hit his stride, Gafford also came along. It's human nature for all the attention to flow to the new guy. Especially since he was absolutely fantastic!

Dinwiddie is a very good player. I like him a lot. But, even at his best he isn't at the level Russ laid down last season once he was healthy. Actually... he's not near that level -- not many players are. Still, he goes some way. & we also have 3 other guys who add a lot. Plus, if Bryant comes back at the productivity he'd achieved before going down, that helps too.

So... can we equal that 17-6 pace? That's a 52 win season. About like what the Bucks put down last year.

A good corrective might be to recall that Philly simply brushed us aside with little effort, 17-6 notwithstanding. & then to remember just how good Atlanta is. Or to recall that it was 4 years ago that we last won 40+ games.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Can't wait to root for him in a Wizards uniform.

Fella brings some much needed attitude and interior muscle, and while his game has repeatedly fizzled out in the playoffs I'd be perfectly content with having him help this team over the 50 win hump.

I'm really loving the versatility the Wizards have at center and PF between Gafford, Harrell, Kuzma, Bertans and Hachimura and I'd love to see how Harrell is going to push Gafford in those scrimmages.

If Beal can stay healthy and Dinwiddie finds his groove I could see Washington shock the league much like the Knicks did last year.

Why can't he and Kuzma push Rui Hachimura?

Harrell finishes. Gafford finishes.

I like the idea of starting Kuzma, Harrell, and Gafford with Beal and Dinwiddie.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Stream of thoughts...

All Wizards bigs should play 2 or 3 positions.

Kuzma could play three positions: 4,3, and 2

Rui is a 4/3. Ditto for Bertans.

Trez is a 4/5

If I were coaching this Wizards team I would ask Kyle Kuzma if he is okay with playing two or three different positions. I've been watching video of him and he looks like he can dribble the ball like a guard and he can shoot from the top of the key. I don't see why he can't play small forward and even backup shooting guard.

Montrezl Harrell looks like he can play power forward very effectively.

[badinage]

If I were coaching this Wizards team I would ask Kyle Kuzma if he is okay with playing two or three different positions. I've been watching video of him and he looks like he can dribble the ball like a guard and he can shoot from the top of the key. I don't see why he can't play small forward and even backup.

But does he have deep knee bennnnnnnnd …?

[payitforward]

Not "knee," badinage -- hip! Hip bend is what he needs.

I think I've seen pictures of Montrezl wearing a beret -- so I think he's down on the hip thing....

[doclinkin]

Harrell is a very good player, no doubt about it. & you cite his intense motivation. He's not very versatile, & he hasn't done well in the playoffs. But he is dxmned good all the same.

The only problem he presents for us is that he isn't as good as Bryant or Gafford. Then again, Bryant won't be ready at the beginning of the season, & that make Trez a big plus in the short term. If we are able to trade him once Bryant is back, I would expect to get a pretty good return.

Of course, we could trade Bryant instead -- depending on how much more he got back, that would be fine. But, it would have to be a significant difference, because Bryant is much younger than Trez & earlier in his development. He's a more valuable asset.

I like that Bryant and Harrell are friends who trained together under Rico Hines in LA and played against each other at his open runs. They both bring the energy. I can see them motivating each other and everyone around them.

I like that all 3 centers have distinct skill sets. Harrell can handle and out-quick opposing Bigs. Bryant has range, length, and efficient scoring underneath. Gafford has game changing shot blocking and opens up the aerial passing lanes.

I doubt that we play 3 centers as we did last year, but if all are healthy at the same time they each can play high effort minutes and not care if they rack fouls trying to contain Embiid or Giannis. I'm not too worried about Coach Wes finding utility for all of them.

Yes if they each play well then let other teams come sniffing around juicing up a trade, if not, then play the one who's best. They can fight it out and earn it. I don't strictly think it is a done deal that one or the other is head and shoulders above the rest. Even Trez has room to improve. Every year he has gotten better, last year was his best rebounding year, best year from the FT line. If he is in fact adding a useful 3 ball, suddenly he has significant added utility. That or improved footwork on defense would bump his value to any coach or team. If he puts in the work with a good trainer he can speed up his lateral shiftiness and improve at staying in front of a player on the shift. He doesn't have the high center of gravity that a player like Bryant does, looks like he could improve his side to side work if he concentrates his effort here and focuses on it. it is not outside of possibility that Trez manages to speed up on D.

[doclinkin]

From the year before his 6th man award:

https://theathletic.com/1145579/2019/08/20/inside-montrezl-harrells-summer-workouts-with-trainer-rico-hines/

At the same time, Harrell wants to stay true to what made him the third-place vote-getter for Sixth Man of the Year in 2018-19. He’s a monster in the paint and needs to remain near the block to be most effective. His bread-and-butter is rolling to the rim — statistically he’s one of the three or four best roll men in the league — and upholding arguably the game’s best pick-and-roll tandem with Williams.

“I don’t get away from that because if a guy can’t stop it, he can’t stop it,” Harrell says. “But at the same time, I know I could be able to get like I’m going to go to my running hook and be able to pull up where I’m at and knock the shot down with confidence. I’m going to be able to get to my spots on the floor where I feel that I can work and do the most damage at and be able to score and get a bucket from there.”

What’s clear — from his private workouts, to his play in the UCLA pick-up runs, to his performances on the weekends at the Drew League and AEBL — is that Harrell has already made significant progress this offseason.

His shot looks cleaner and more fluid. He can knock down 3s and long 2s in game situations, including step-back and off-the-dribble heaves. While Hines’ pickup runs don’t precisely replicate NBA gameplay, they are as close to the real thing as it gets during the summer. The offseason is one thing; the regular season is another. The next step for Harrell is to implement his shooting into actual NBA games, which will only happen if he proves to the Clippers’ coaching staff that his strides are legitimate.

“I feel confident in my game and where I’m at,” Harrell says. “We worked extremely hard on being able to create my shot and knowing my shot.”

Harrell and Hines will train together through late September, when Hines has to fly up to Sacramento to be with the Kings during their training camp and Harrell and the Clippers will be flying to Hawaii for training camp and preseason action.

Throughout the three-plus month process, an already strong relationship has grown stronger. Hines is selective with who he trains — he’s kept his one-on-one training to Harrell, Thomas Bryant and Trevor Ariza, a fellow Bruin, this offseason — as it’s more about the personal connection with a player for him than the exposure or the money.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

If I were coaching this Wizards team I would ask Kyle Kuzma if he is okay with playing two or three different positions. I've been watching video of him and he looks like he can dribble the ball like a guard and he can shoot from the top of the key. I don't see why he can't play small forward and even backup.

But does he have deep knee bennnnnnnnd …?

Maybe so and maybe he’s also bowlegged.

[wall_glizzy]

The first "Could we play Gafford / Bryant / Harrell together?" post is near... I can feel it.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Harrell is a very good player, no doubt about it. & you cite his intense motivation. He's not very versatile, & he hasn't done well in the playoffs. But he is dxmned good all the same.

The only problem he presents for us is that he isn't as good as Bryant or Gafford. Then again, Bryant won't be ready at the beginning of the season, & that make Trez a big plus in the short term. If we are able to trade him once Bryant is back, I would expect to get a pretty good return.

Of course, we could trade Bryant instead -- depending on how much more he got back, that would be fine. But, it would have to be a significant difference, because Bryant is much younger than Trez & earlier in his development. He's a more valuable asset.

I like that Bryant and Harrell are friends who trained together under Rico Hines in LA and played against each other at his open runs. They both bring the energy. I can see them motivating each other and everyone around them.

I like that all 3 centers have distinct skill sets. Harrell can handle and out-quick opposing Bigs. Bryant has range, length, and efficient scoring underneath. Gafford has game changing shot blocking and opens up the aerial passing lanes.

I doubt that we play 3 centers as we did last year, but if all are healthy at the same time they each can play high effort minutes and not care if they rack fouls trying to contain Embiid or Giannis. I'm not too worried about Coach Wes finding utility for all of them.

Yes if they each play well then let other teams come sniffing around juicing up a trade, if not, then play the one who's best. They can fight it out and earn it. I don't strictly think it is a done deal that one or the other is head and shoulders above the rest. Even Trez has room to improve. Every year he has gotten better, last year was his best rebounding year, best year from the FT line. If he is in fact adding a useful 3 ball, suddenly he has significant added utility. That or improved footwork on defense would bump his value to any coach or team. If he puts in the work with a good trainer he can speed up his lateral shiftiness and improve at staying in front of a player on the shift. He doesn't have the high center of gravity that a player like Bryant does, looks like he could improve his side to side work if he concentrates his effort here and focuses on it. it is not outside of possibility that Trez manages to speed up on D.

If Bryant and Harrell train together it should also be noted that Kyle Kuzma and Bryant were draftedOr they were rookies at the same time by the Lakers the very same day.

Tired blind post google translator will eat it later and it later edit that was funny

[closg00]

"10 players shining with new teams after first 3 weeks"

4. Montrezl Harrell, Washington Wizards
This could be a group entry, the guys GM Tommy Shepard points to when Executive of the Year nominations are being cast. Kyle Kuzma has enhanced his reputation since leaving the Lakers. Spencer Dinwiddie, in his return from a torn right ACL last year, fits more nicely next to Bradley Beal than Russell Westbrook did. And Harrell has felt unleashed while still fulfilling his Sixth Man duties. Want to explain his bump of more than four points and about three rebounds per game from 2020-21 with the Lakers? It’s all in the PT, up from 22.9 minutes to 30.0. As he said recently, “Montrezl Harrell is on the floor, brother. That’s the biggest difference. … I didn’t really get to be utilized how I wanted to be last year. I damn near felt like I had a season off.”

https://www.nba.com/news/10-players-shining-with-new-teams-after-first-3-weeks

[tontoz]

Another huge night against the Cavs, 24-11. He kept us in the game when the starters were shooting blanks.

[payitforward]

That was one hell of a 26 minute outing from Trez tonight. 8-12 & 8-8 for 24 points. 5 offensive boards & 6 defensive boards. Not to mention 2 steals & 3 assists.

[payitforward]

Just pulling this thread up from page 2 -- odd it would get there given the way Montrezl Harrell is playing!

Trez is having by far his best season. For sure, he is one of the top 5 Centers in the NBA this year & pretty likely among the top ten players in the league in overall productivity! Although he comes off the bench, he's playing @30 minutes a game & routinely wins POTG for us. He is scoring over 25 points per 40 minutes -- at a TS% of 71.2% !!

I bring this up to praise him, of course, but also b/c the season he's having poses a serious problem for us. We may not be able to keep him! Assuming he keeps playing this way, he is going to get a really big contract offer this off season.

It's also important to note that we really can't trade Thomas Bryant unless we are absolutely certain we'll be able to re-sign Trez. Daniel Gafford is terrific, no doubt, but he continues to be a 20-minute-per-game player.

If we're going to do our job as shadow FO, we need nate to start thinking about this problem right now.

[nate33]

Just pulling this thread up from page 2 -- odd it would get there given the way Montrezl Harrell is playing!

Trez is having by far his best season. For sure, he is one of the top 5 Centers in the NBA this year & pretty likely among the top ten players in the league in overall productivity! Although he comes off the bench, he's playing @30 minutes a game & routinely wins POTG for us. He is scoring over 25 points per 40 minutes -- at a TS% of 71.2% !!

I bring this up to praise him, of course, but also b/c the season he's having poses a serious problem for us. We may not be able to keep him! Assuming he keeps playing this way, he is going to get a really big contract offer this off season.

It's also important to note that we really can't trade Thomas Bryant unless we are absolutely certain we'll be able to re-sign Trez. Daniel Gafford is terrific, no doubt, but he continues to be a 20-minute-per-game player.

If we're going to do our job as shadow FO, we need nate to start thinking about this problem right now.

Yeah, you have talked me into standing pat and doing nothing. Whatever late picks we get by trading Bryant (or Harrell) at the Trade Deadline won't be worth the loss in depth over the season or the loss in negotiation leverage in the offseason. I'd rather have Bird Rights on both guys and then try and play them off each other so that at least one agrees to a cap friendly contract.

I also want to make sure I get a good look at Bryant before I consider trading him. For all we know, he has improved dramatically over this past year by watching film and working with Wes Jr.'s coaching staff to understand where to be defensively. And he has been mobile and pretty healthy since at least August so I'm sure he has been working on his game.

[nate33]

Trez is having by far his best season. For sure, he is one of the top 5 Centers in the NBA this year & pretty likely among the top ten players in the league in overall productivity! Although he comes off the bench

Looking at the advance numbers, Trez has basically been the 6th best player in the league.

Going by all the main summary stats (PER, WS/48, BPM, VORP), the top 5 are, in some order:

Jokic
Durant
Butler
Giannis
Curry

Harrell is basically 6th on all those lists. (He jumps ahead of Curry in PER and WS/48 as those stats tend to favor bigs because they weigh rebounding pretty heavily.)