The Clippers’ Johnathan Motley and Montrezl Harrell have been working on their game by playing at Rico Hines UCLA Run with NBA superstars.
Both Johnathan Motley and Montrezl Harrell have been spotted at UCLA playing in Rico Hine’s legendary pick-up games.
For those of you don’t know, Rico Hine’s is a G-League coach for the Reno Big Horns. He runs summer pick-up games for NBA players at the UCLA campus. His logic?
"“Guys want to be around talent,” Hines explains, and it felt like his duty to connect them."
This summer is no different. While players like Russell Westbrook, Paul George, James Harden and Kevin Durant have been getting the majority of the attention, lesser known players are also in the gym working on their craft.
You can see brief glimpses of Johnathan Motley in the video below. Motley is playing right alongside Westbrook and is likely taking a lot in.
Getting this type of exposure to NBA stars is great for a young guy like Motley who is working to earn a permanent place in the league. He also got to face off against the likes of Greg Monroe, who he may see some nights in the league.
Motley was acquired this summer from the Dallas Mavericks and was given a two-way contract. The 6’9 forward showed flashes last season, but will need to consistently perform to keep from bouncing around the league. Playing in these pick-up games is a step in the right direction.
Montrezl Harrell also participated in the UCLA games back in July, which you can see in this video. Harrell has been playing non-stop this summer after securing a two-year, $12 million contract with the Clippers.
Harrell expects big things of himself this season. He is seeking to win the Most Improved Player Award and to put the league on notice. With the departure of DeAndre Jordan, he will have the opportunity to play big minutes this season.
Both forwards will hopefully learn from this experience and make big strides in preparation for the 2018-19 season.