No. 3: Montrezl Harrell
There’s a really good chance that Montrezl Harrell never leaves this list this season. So long as he continues to earn minutes, we have no reason to expect Harrell’s monster numbers to drop off anytime soon.
So far this year, Harrell is putting up 9.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in just 19 minutes of action per game. Though his scoring numbers are down a bit compared to last season’s, where Trezz is making a much more significant contribution is on defense.
His 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks would both be career-high marks, as would his league-high 8.1 defensive box plus/minus rating, which is followed Anthony Davis‘ 6.9 rating and Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s 5.8. As previously stated, this isn’t always the best metric to use in grading someone’s defensive impact, but once again, the numbers appear to back it up.
Harrell also holds the league’s best block percentage at 9.2, and has the NBA’s fourth-lowest defensive rating at 95.7.
These numbers are likely a little skewed given his small sample size, but it’s hard to ignore what Harrell is doing for the Clippers this season. Assuming he keeps it up, it may not be long before he forces his way into the starting lineup.
For now, though, we can all look forward to Trezz continuing to feast on the opposing team’s bench.