2015 NBA Draft Profile: Montrezl Harrell

Dec 27, 2014; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals forward Montrezl Harrell (24) shoots against Kentucky Wildcats center Dakari Johnson (44) and forward Trey Lyles (41) during the second half at KFC Yum! Center. Kentucky defeated Louisville 58-50. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Name: Montrezl Harrell

School: Louisville

Position: Power Forward

Height: 6’8″

Weight: 230 pounds

Projected Draft Position: Lottery pick

Overview: Few players in the nation possess the skill set that Montrezl Harrell. He is reminiscent in ways of Kenneth Faried, who brought the same level of energy and same level of enthusiasm while also the same incredible athleticism.

Harrell has the Louisville Cardinals positioned as one of the top teams in the country thanks to his 16.0 points and 9.8 rebounds a game. More importantly, he’s the leader of one of the toughest defenses in the nation and averages over a block a game. His explosiveness not only lends him to big blocks despite his (relatively) small frame, but also to the show-stopping dunk.

However, Harrell has his limitations, mainly on the offensive end and from a physical standpoint. At 6’8″, he’s projected as a tweener in the NBA; too small to play power forward, not enough of an outside game to play SF. His offensive struggles can be highlighted by his 58.1% free throw shooting.

As a result, Harrell’s projections are cloudy. He’s ranked 17th on Draft Express’ top 100 prospects list and most mock drafts have him in the lottery, but with his ceiling likely that of Faried’s, can he fulfill the role of energetic, rebounding big man.

Pros: Harrell’s game revolves around his incredible athleticism and incredible physique. Per his measurements from USA Basketball in 2013, Harrell has a 7’3″ wingspan and an 8’11” standing reach. While there are no official measurements for his vertical, we’ll go ahead and call it a lot based on this:

When Harrell gets the ball in the paint or near the rim, he’s not just looking to score, but he’s looking to finish with a dunk. He goes to the rim hard and few things can get in his way.

Defensively, he uses that explosive ability to block shots and has good defensive instincts in defending the rim. His defensive rating of 77.0 ranks him ninth in the nation. He can also get to the glass, pulling down double-digit rebounds five different times and only once grabbing less than seven rebounds.

In reality, from a physical standpoint, he compares nicely to Faried. At the 2011 Draft Combine, Faried 6’7.5″ tall, with a wingspan of 7’0″ and a standing reach of 9’0″. With USA Basketball in 2013, Harrell measured 6’6.5″ tall, had a 7’3″ wingspan and a standing reach of 8’11”.

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Cons: The risk with drafting a player like Harrell is that he relies so much on his athleticism that he could bust pretty easily. In college, he’s more athletic than 90% of the players he faces and can rely on that to overwhelm opponents. In the NBA, that won’t be the case nearly as often.

Because he can rely on his freakish athleticism, his actual post game is basically non-existent. His lack of offense was exposed against Kentucky this weekend. Against NBA size in Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns, Harrell struggled. He couldn’t explode to the rim over them like he typically does and when he tried to post up, his lack of a true back-to-the-basket game was exploited.

While Harrell compares physically to Faried, he is not nearly as good a rebounder nor does he have the same instincts. At the next level, his athleticism alone can not get him by. If he could play more small forward, he would be able to improve his draft stock. While he may be able to handle opposing small forwards on the defensive end, he doesn’t have the range offensively to play as a 3.

Early in the season, Harrell gave scouts a small taste of a possible outside game by burying 3 three-pointers in their opening game against Minnesota. Since then, he’s went 1 for 16 from deep and proven that it was flash in the pan performance.

As of now, Harrell is a big risk, medium reward player. At his best, he’s Faried. However, he would have to develop to become Faried whereas it seems more likely that he becomes another forward who is too small to make it in the league and becomes a role player who is very one-dimensional.

Next: Kentucky Wildcats: Three Thoughts on Win over Louisville