NBA 6MOY Power Rankings, No. 2: Montrezl Harrell – 12.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 64% EFG
Last year’s Sixth Man of the Year switched to the other Staples Center team in the offseason and continues to be a beast off the bench. His scoring has dropped off from last year (Harrell averaged 18 points per game with the Clippers), but Harrell still averages a stout 13 points and six rebounds a game playing 24 minutes a night for the Purple and Gold Lakers.
Harrell is an interesting blend of hustle and efficiency – he’s always running the floor and crashing the boards (Harrell averages over two offensive rebounds per game), while also maintaining an effective field goal percentage north of 60 percent. Some of his best stat lines for the season include a 17-point, 14-rebound, and 7-offensive rebound game against the Bulls, and a 21-point, 6-rebound game against the Thunder.
Harrell is never exclusively used as the feature offensive man, but he fits perfectly in lineups as someone who crashes the glass hard and guard opposing big men. The Alex Caruso-Kyle Kuzma- Montrezl Harrel three-man combo bench lineup is +20 points per 100 possessions. Harrell also fits well playing alongside starters like LeBron and AD, where his hustle play and tenacity give the Lakers’ dominance an additional punch.
Harrell’s blend of effort, persistence, and efficiency should make him a Sixth Man of the Year frontrunner every year. However, it’ll be hard for him to win it this year because the Lakers bench unit is just so well balanced – you could make a case for Alex Caruso or Kyle Kuzma as legit Sixth Man candidates, which somewhat hurts Harrell’s chances.
Although may never be more than a 15 point-per-game scorer in the league, Montrezl Harrell brings effort and intangibles to the floor that is incredibly valuable and is something every championship team needs.