Montrezl Harrell

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North Carolina 93, Louisville 84

Sunday, November 24, 2013 | Mohegan Sun Arena (Uncasville, CT)

Montrezl Harrell — PF, 6-8, 235
Sophomore, 20 years old

Season (25.6 mpg): 12.5 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 59% field goal percentage

Game: 5 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal, 5 fouls

Outlook: Standing at 6-10 with a 7-3 wingspan, Montrezl Harrell is a versatile power forward with supreme athleticism and an unlimited motor. He struggles to create his own shot, and doesn’t have much of a “post game,” but Harrell’s awareness around the rim and impressive physical attributes give credence to a high upside. Harrell is mobile and fluid in the open floor, catches the ball with strong hands and finishes above the rim. Defensively, he can guard bigger players because of his length and athleticism, and has the timing to reject shots at the rim. He appears to have legitimate potential as a weak-side defender as well.

A high motor accentuates Harrell’s physical attributes, and considering he’s only 20 years old, he looks to have a high upside.

STRENGTHS

TRANSITION (ATHLETICISM)

Harrell is a huge threat in the open floor. He explodes off the ground, with a second and third bounce. His 1.21 points transition last season ranked in the 75th percentile nationally, and his current numbers mirror last year’s production.

CUTTING

32% of Harrell’s baskets this season have come in the form of “cutting/slashing” to the hoop, and according to Synergy Sports, he’s shooting 72% on those attempts. Harrell roams the baseline, often receiving a bounce pass and simultaneously going up for a quick jaunt towards the hoop. His quick bounce and strong frame allow him to finish through contact.

PUT-BACKS / OFFENSIVE REBOUNDING / NATURAL PHYSICALITY

Harrell’s physicality and athleticism also make him a force on the glass. He averages 3.7 offensive rebounds per game, and his 14% offensive rebounding percentage (the percentage of possible o-rebounds Harrell secures when on the floor) ranks 110th in the country. He has a strong frame to establish rebounding position in the paint, but most of the time Harrell uses his athleticism to catch a tip-in. His second and third bounce is a factor on the glass as well.

INTERIOR DEFENSE / CONTESTING

Harrell is a versatile defender—against North Carolina, he defended three completely different players: James Michael McAdoo (lean, face-up), Kennedy Meeks (chubby post man with girth), and Brice Johnson (slender, runs the floor).

However, Harrell has trouble defending quick forwards who can shoot. Jump-shooting forwards can take Harrell outside and face him up, where he’s more susceptible right now. Harrell is an excellent defender on the interior, though. Contests post-ups and alters shots in his vicinity. Opposing players scored only .62 points per possession last season, a mark in the top 88th percentile among all players. Furthermore, Harrell held opponents to 30% shooting around the basket. He seems to take pride in playing interior defense, and has the physical attributes to eventually excel in this area.

NEEDS TO IMPROVE

POST-UP STRUGGLES

While his physical tools and high motor are impressive, Harrell is not a great post player right now. Visibly uncomfortable scoring with his back to the basket, and relies on athleticism way too much. For example, he’ll establish position in the paint, but once he has the ball, he’ll aimlessly jump and try to “figure it out” mid-air

Harrell shot only 23.5% on post-ups last season (17 attempts). An incremental step forward in his post game would be encouraging.

SHOOTING STRUGGLES

Quite frankly, Harrell has horrible shooting form. There’s just no way around it.

His form changes every time he shoots the ball, and he struggles to make uncontested jump shots, let alone contested ones. He hardly attempts jump shots (9% of attempts last season; 19% of attempts this season), and his struggles are apparent on film.

DEFENDING SHOOTERS

Harrell has difficulty defending shooters, particularly off the dribble. Opponents scored 1.2 points per play against him on jump shots last season (bottom 80th percentile), and they are scoring 1.33 PPP so far this season (bottom 90th percentile). Harrell needs to become sounder defensively, especially from 15-feet and out.

Louisville 83, Rutgers 76

Saturday, January 4, 2014 | RAC (Piscataway, NJ)

Montrezl Harrell — PF, 6-8, 235
Sophomore, 20 years old

Season (25 mpg): 11.9 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.3 SPG

Game: 6 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 5 fouls

Outlook: Harrell committed five fouls in only 20 minutes of play, so he was relegated to the bench for most of the game. He finished with 6 points (3-5), 7 rebounds and 3 steals.

Once again, he showcased NBA athleticism and mobility in the open court, and continued to attack the boards. But he also showcased a broken jump shot. For the season, Harrell is shooting 27% on only 15 jump shot attempts, per Synergy.

Still, his strengths were apparent. Harrell is very bouncy, can block shots and finish in the paint. I’m not yet sure how he fits into an NBA offense (especially in the half-court), but he has NBA tools and he’s still very young. Harrell belongs in the NBA, but to what extent/role I’m not yet sure. I look forward to watching him compete again.

Video: Points vs. Rutgers