Montrezl Harrell
If the Suns were to reach for anyone in the 2015 NBA Draft, most fans seem to want that reach to be Montrezl Harrell, an undersized power forward who makes up for it with his strength, physicality and unflappable motor. Harrell is an explosive athlete, but at 6’8″ he’d need to develop into a Draymond Green-type of player to earn minutes at the next level.
Like Green, Harrell was an inconsistent shooter in college. He’s also a poor free throw shooter, but he started to add a three-point shot to his arsenal in his last season with the Louisville Cardinals. He shot only 24.3 percent from that range on 1.1 attempts per game, but his midrange game is strong and he says his shot’s range is coming along.
“I feel like I definitely showcased it some in college, but I definitely feel like I’ve improved it since I’ve been working out with my trainer in the offseason to get prepared for these workouts,” he said.
Harrell’s physical interior game would normally peg him as a traditional, bruise-em-in-the-paint kind of power forward, but he’s spent the last year fine-tuning his game to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of the NBA.
“I was definitely able to hit my midrange more consistently than I did my sophomore year, I was able to expand out to three-point range so I definitely feel that I’ve showcased some things in my game,” he said.
Harrell averaged 15.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game on 56.6 percent shooting in his junior season. Projected as a mid or late first round pick, this 21-year-old will probably still be on the board by the time the Suns’ selection rolls around.
Next: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson