One Player the LA Clippers Can Expose on Each West Contender
LA Clippers’ Target on the Los Angeles Lakers: Montrezl Harrell
The LA Clippers watched Montrezl Harrell struggle in the playoffs against physical bigs and bigs who could make shots from outside. They’ve got to be excited when they look at their roster and see Ivica Zubac and Serge Ibaka.
Look, I don’t want this to turn into a Montrezl Harrell bashing piece. It’s not that. For all the feelings around his departure from the LA Clippers, Trezz did a lot for the team. But the Clippers are in a position now where they can do the same thing that the Nuggets did to them last year.
In the playoffs, assuming good health, there will probably only be two centers played by the LA Clippers, with Ibaka and Zu splitting time at the 5. If Lue wants to match up Zu’s minutes with those of Harrell, he can make sure that Trezz is always having to guard a big physical center who can bang down low.
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Alternatively, maybe the LA Clippers ensure that Serge Ibaka is always on the floor across from Montrezl Harrell. In that case, Trezz will have to guard a center who can score anywhere from the three point line to the rim.
The Lakers could play Trezz alongside one of their other bigs, but the LA Clippers would have to count that as a win. Harrell only has 1 lineup in his top 10 this season alongside Anthony Davis, and that lineup was outscored by 15.9 points per 100 possessions.
Coach Lue has to be excited about the possibility of attacking the Lakers in the paint when Montrezl Harrell plays. In the Lakers vs. Clippers games from this season, Trezz has a plus-minus of -3.5, and a postseason Battle of LA would keep exposing his weakness defending centers.