Montrezl Harrell is Clipper’s X factor in round two match-up

LA needs a massive series from Montrezl Harrell.

The Los Angeles Clippers found out who it will face in second-round of the 2020 NBA playoffs on Wednesday night; and, for center Montrezl Harrell, a match-up with the Denver Nuggets should mean big things.

Minutes after the final horn sounded in game seven of the first round match-up between the Nuggets and Jazz, players still struggled to catch their breath. Donovan Mitchell laid, dejected, on the floor after a game-winner at the buzzer went begging. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray looked more relieved that the series was over than excited that his team was advancing.

Murray, in an interview with Scott Van Pelt, described only getting a day of rest between series as a “bummer,” but looked more disheartened than bummed.

However, Murray and the Nuggets will be forced to regroup quickly with a deep, well-rested Clippers team on the horizon.

Los Angeles is entering the series only just now arriving at full strength. The Clippers entered the bubble without multiple players, lost another to a forced quarantine situation for ten days, and have been dealt a nasty string of injuries throughout the season, dating all the way back to the winter of 2019.

But, LA is finally healthy now, and one of their better threats, Harrell, is finally returning to full form.

Last week, we detailed how Harrell was away from the team for weeks to visit his grandmother on her death bed, and after returning, dealt with negative media attention after exchanging words with opposing players in game two of LA’s series with the Mavericks.

Harrell, however, is finally getting back to his old ways, and is bringing the hype and leading the Clippers’ bench mob energy heading into the second round.

The Clippers need more from Harrell, though, than just a very intimidating kid hopped up on Pixie Stix if they want to continue to have championship aspirations.

That has never been truer than in the circumstances around his match-up with the Nuggets.

In round one, Clippers starting center, Ivaca Zubac, was matched up perfectly with Mavs big men Kristaps Porzingis and Boban Marjanovic. Especially against the latter, who was forced into a much more significant role after a Porzingis injury. Zubac’s style of play better suited the Clippers than that of Harrell.

That will not be the case in the second round for the Clippers. The Nuggets run their offense through big man Nikola Jokic- a mobile big with the ability to go to work in the mid-range, or from deep.

Harrell is much more suited in a match-up against the All-Star, Jokic, than Zubac is. This is evidenced by Harrell’s playing time in two regular season games against the Nuggets prior to his absence from the team.

In two games, Harrell averaged just shy of 25 minutes per game, dropping 21.5 points and 9 rebounds per match-up.

Most noticeably in Harrell’s absence from the Clippers and Nuggets August 12th match-up in Orlando, Jokic was unstoppable. He tallied 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, grabbed nine boards, and dished out 13 assists to only one turnover.

Harrell’s mobility and flexibility as an undersized aggressor in the post should stand to benefit the Clippers.

Can Harrell finally bounce back in the second round? His future could depend on it.

Heading into an offseason where he will be a free agent, he could command a contract worth $20 million or more a year. However, if he cannot prove to suitors that he is capable of handling the pressure of high usage in a playoff atmosphere, his stock could drop significantly during a season where the league is hemmorghing money.

It’s now or never for Harrell, who has the biggest series of his life ahead of him on a team that won’t settle for anything less than an NBA title.