The 10 greatest players in LA Clippers history according to Player Efficiency Rating (PER)

Is Kawhi Leonard one of the best players in LA Clippers history?
Is Kawhi Leonard one of the best players in LA Clippers history? | Quinn Harris/GettyImages
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3. Montrezl Harrell

Nobody should deny that PER (and other aggregate metrics) can be a little wonky. We're not trying to knock Harrell. Still, it doesn't feel like he's the third-best player in LA Clippers history. 

A few caveats apply here. Harrell typically squared off with second units. That allowed him to inflate his counting stats. Moreover, PER doesn't capture the fact that Harrell was a defensive tweener. He wasn't big enough to protect the rim, but he wasn't quick enough to contain the perimeter. 

Let's focus on the positives. In 2019-20, Harrell averaged 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game - good for a PER of 23.4 and the league's Sixth Man of the Year award. His 24.7 mark from the year prior was even more impressive. 

Harrell was a dynamic inside scorer who could also finish pick-and-roll sets. It may be that PER overrated Harrell a bit, but that doesn't mean that he wasn't a highly valuable player for this organization. 

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