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Lakers vs Clippers Preview: No Lou Williams, No Montrezl Harrell, No Problem?

By Kevin Germany

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 4: Lou Williams #23 and Montrezl Harrell #5 of the LA Clippers share a conversation during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on January 4, 2020 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 4: Lou Williams #23 and Montrezl Harrell #5 of the LA Clippers share a conversation during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on January 4, 2020 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

Is Montrezl Harrell Really More Valuable to the Clippers than Kawhi Leonard, Lou Williams or Paul George?

This question is absurd if you read it as Montrezl Harrell being the team’s best player. But the team MVP is not always the team’s best player. Harrell fills three crucial roles no other Clipper can fill: 1) rim protection; 2) being the dive man on the pick-and-roll; 3) being the rim-runner in transition. Does this make him the team’s most valuable player?

Not really. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George immediately made the Clippers title contenders. But Harrell does the one thing all superstars do: he makes his teammates better, augmenting his teammate’s strengths and covering their weaknesses.

Without him, Patrick Beverly is not nearly as terrorizing on defense. Without him, Lou Williams becomes borderline unplayable late game due to his defensive shortcomings. Without him, Kawhi Leonard or Paul George has to slide down a position to guard opposing big men.

He is also Lou Will’s wingman on offense, catching lobs and getting offensive rebounds – in the rare instance that Lou Will misses a shot!

Harrell is more than just the quintessential energy big man coming off the bench and changing the game through effort alone. He scores as many points per game as Lou Williams. He has enough off-the-bounce verve in the intermediate post area (also AD’s sweet spot) to blow by opposing centers for several highlight dunks per game. He normally plays 28 minutes.

Clippers coach Doc Rivers played Harrell 34 minutes per game in the previous three meetings vs the Lakers.

Doc trusts him.

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