As I’ve written about before, the Portland Trail Blazers are in the midst of an off-season of uncertainty and there is some pressure for them to nail the 23rd pick in this Thursday’s NBA Draft. Earlier in the week, I profiled the fit that Justin Anderson may be with the Blazers. Today, I’m focusing on a Louisville junior forward, Montrezl Harrell.
Over the course of various versions of various mock drafts over the past few weeks, Harrell has floated consistently in the range where Portland is picking at No. 23, and has often been chosen as their target.
ALSO ON HOOPSHABIT: Our Latest NBA Mock Draft
As of the writing of this piece, CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish sees the Blazers going with Harrell. Harrell was also part of the very first group the Blazers brought in for pre-draft workouts.
Harrell was looked at as a similar (mid-late first round) prospect after his sophomore season at Louisville, and did little to help or hurt his draft stock after his junior season in which the Cardinals advanced to the Elite Eight in unlikely fashion before falling to Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans.
But Montrezl Harrell provides a very specific skillset and that could really compliment the Blazers roster if this off-season plays out in certain ways and could be really limiting if the off-season plays out in others.
And the Blazers have been down a similar road with a similar type of player in the recent past. Is Montrezl Harrell the man the Blazers will go after with the 23rd overall pick?
Next: The Skill Set of Montrezl Harrell