LOS ANGELES – Montrezl Harrell‘s return to the NBA bubble spells trouble for opponents of the LA Clippers, says guard Lou Williams. The leading Sixth Man of the Year candidate arrived in Orlando on Sunday night and is currently undergoing the four-day quarantine period before he's able to resume team activities.
Harrell was away from the team since July 17th to tend to a family matter, and has expressed his struggles dealing with the recent passing of his grandmother.
While the team gave Harrell as much time as he needed to grieve, Williams believes returning to play will ultimately help Harrell with the entire process.
“Basketball is an outlet,” Lou Williams explained. “The two-and-a-half hours we are out on the floor, it allows us an opportunity to escape from the realities of what we deal with in our personal lives. We use that as fuel, motivation, instead of it being a distraction. We deal with those things when we're off the floor.”
Unfortunately, Williams is no stranger to what Montrezl Harrell is dealing with. The three-time Sixth Man of the Year also had to leave the Orlando bubble to attend the funeral of a close family friend — someone he considered a mentor. There were lots of things said and made about Williams' absence, mostly due to his activities outside of the viewing, but he went through the grieving process as well.
“When we get an opportunity to step inside the lines, that is an opportunity to let our minds go, let our hearts be free,” Williams added. “Kind of let go of some of that grief, let go some of some of that hurt, and bond with the guys. I think that can be a positive thing for us once we play basketball.”
The Clippers saw their trio of Williams, Harrell, and Patrick Beverley all depart from the bubble to deal with deaths among family or close friends. Although they were all away from the team, they were never truly alone.
“We've spoken to Trez every day. Knock on his door, scream at him on the other side of the door, make sure he's okay. If he needs anything, just let him know we are there with him. That's how this group has always been. When Pat was gone every day, we were in constant communication. When I was gone for a few days, we were in constant communication. Nothing is different with Trez. We were speaking with him every day, every other day, dealing with him, just making sure he was okay, if he needed anything.
“We're a tight group. We're a tight group.”
If you follow Montrezl Harrell on social media, you've seen some rough posts from the Clippers forward as he tries to deal with the loss of the mother figure in his life. Everyone deals with grief in their own way, which is what Doc Rivers alluded to when he said the team would give Harrell as much time as he needs last week. Sometimes having some time alone and to yourself is best, and sometimes it isn't.
Williams and the Clippers know Harrell will need time to himself, but are also intent on letting him know he's not by himself in all this. On Harrell's part, he's not irritated or annoyed by the attention he's receiving from his teammates.
“[It doesn't annoy him] because he understands the intention,” Williams said. “We just want to check on him, making sure he's okay, make sure his spirits are high. In that room for four days, I did it for 10, it can be a rough transition, especially when you're going through things, you're in an environment where you have to deal with your thoughts. We just want him to know he's not alone.”
LA is hoping to get Montrezl Harrell back on the court with Lou Williams and the gang in Friday night's seeding game finale against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He will have completed his quarantine process by then, and have a real chance to get some run before the start of the playoffs. A motivated Trez will not be a pleasant sight for opponents, says Lou Williams.
“He's back and ready to work. Obviously, Trez is a high-energy guy. He's a guy that plays at a high level, an extremely physical player, an extremely emotional player. With some things on his mind, I feel sorry for the other guys on the other team.”
In 63 appearances this season, Harrell has averaged 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game on 58 percent shooting from the field.
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