Dallas Mavericks vs LA Clippers: 3 players who could be an X-factor

2. Montrezl Harrell

Another obvious player on this list; Clippers center Montrezl Harrell.

Harrell left the NBA bubble in July for “an emergency family matter,” per Shams Charania of Stadium and the Athletic.

On Aug. 4, he revealed on Twitter that his grandmother had died. Harrell returned to the team last Sunday before entering a seven-day quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Harrell hasn’t played in an NBA game since before the COVID19 pandemic suspended the season in mid-March. He is a sixth-man of the year candidate this season and one of the most dynamic players on the Clippers roster in this breakout season.

Though, many questions surround his return. How big of an impact will he make? Will he be on a minutes restriction to get back into game shape? How involved will he be in the offense upon his return to the court? Will he play with an extra chip on his shoulder?

LA Clippers head coach Doc Rivers wasn’t happy with the quarantine mandate the NBA assigned Harrell upon his return to the bubble:

"“We were really surprised he had to be in quarantine as long as he’s been in, considering other cases” when some players quarantined for shorter periods after leaving the bubble,” Rivers said. “But it is what it is, and the tough part is how much he’ll have tomorrow, if any.”"

When healthy and in game shape, Harrell is one of the most important players on the Clippers. He is one part of the two-headed monster, along with Lou Williams, that comes off their bench.

Harrell could also come with added motivation after the passing of his grandmother. Similar to what Jusuf Nurkic did this past Saturday posting a 20 point, 20 rebound game to help the Portland Trail Blazers punch their ticket to the playoffs after his grandmother passed away due to COVID19. The only difference is, Nurkic has played multiple games in the bubble, whereas Harrell has played none.