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MONTREZL HARRELL – 6’8” POWER FORWARD, UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE, 21 YEARS OLD
Montrezl Harrell enters the NBA Draft after a terrific junior year at Louisville in which he averaged 15.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Harrell is an energetic, defensive-minded power forward who lacks polish on the offensive end. Harrell’s biggest strength is most definitely his relentless motor. He is not the type of player to necessarily build your team around, but he can provide an immediate impact to any team. Look for Harrell to get selected anywhere from 18 to 25 on draft night.
Offensive Game – Harrell showed significant improvement offensively this past season in his junior year, but he still has trouble creating his own shot in the post. He isn’t the type of player who NBA teams will want to drop the ball down to in isolation situations. Most of Harrell’s points come off of passes where all he has to do is take one dribble to the rim and finish. Harrell is rather quick and athletic in comparison to other power forwards, which helps him finish plays around the rim. He improved his jump shot to the point where it is decent at best, but Harrell’s free throw shooting remains a major issue. Harrell has a phenomenal energy that can spark an offense, but he doesn’t seem to be a reliable NBA scorer.
Defensive Game – Harrell’s defense is what appeals to NBA scouts the most. His relentless motor provides an irreplaceable tenacity on the defensive end. Even though Harrell is undersized at 6’8″, his tremendous wingspan (7-3) and elite strength make up for it. In college, bigger and taller players weren’t able to exploit Harrell’s lack of height, which is a promising sign for his NBA career. Harrell’s quickness allows him extend out to the perimeter to create havoc out there as well. Overall, Harrell is a very aggressive defender, taking gambles to block shots and get steals.
NBA Potential – Montrezl Harrell is one of those players with a fairly low ceiling, but a high floor. Could Harrell become a starting power forward for a team contending for a championship? Absolutely, but he will most likely never develop into a polished, offensive threat. If it all pans out well, Harrell has the potential to become one of the best defensive players in the NBA. Harrell’s hustle and motor will make his presence felt whenever he’s on the floor, similar to how Kevin Garnett’s physicality and communication on defense make his presence recognized by opponents.
NBA Player Comparison – Harrell draws many comparisons to Denver Nuggets power forward Kenneth Faried. Both players are rather undersized for the power forward position, and their greatest asset is their energy.
