No. 1: Montrezl Harrell
When’s the last time an NBA player won Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year? Asking for a friend.
In all honesty though, Montrezl Harrell has a very real chance to do both of those things this season. And while it’s hardly a surprise that he’s stayed consistent with his performances from last season, it’s much more of one that he’s gotten even better. At some point, the man’s gotta have a ceiling, right?
Apparently not. So far this season, Harrell is averaging 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in less than 26 minutes per game. That’s a significant jump from his 11.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game last season, when we all thought that was as good as he got.
It’s one thing for him to pace the bench with these sorts of numbers, but it’s another to rank so high among the league. His 65.1 percent shooting from the field is third-best in the NBA, he owns the fifth-highest player efficiency rating and offensive rating, and his box plus-minus of 7.1 has him seated just behind Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, and Russell Westbrook.
With all that on the table, it’s hard to believe that this is a 24-year-old, 6’8″ big that was just a second-round pick in 2015. It’s even harder to imagine why the Rockets threw him into the Chris Paul deal like he was nothing, almost an afterthought.
We may never know what it is that fuels Trezz’s fire, but scientists should start looking into it. That much sustainable energy could power entire cities for months at a time.
There’s no telling how far this LA Clippers team can go this season. Assuming Trezz and the rest of the crew keep up the wins, a playoff spot is certainly within reach.