Montrezl Harrell has forged a career more successful than anyone anticipated by playing with the unceasing energy of someone who must be hopped up on gallons of caffeine. The LA Clippers big man, though, has never had much of an affinity for coffee, a taste preference he blames on his grandmother.
“I’m not a big coffee fan,” Harrell told The Athletic's Jovan Buha. “I never was ever since my grandmother told me as a kid that it stunts your growth.”
But Harrell has gotten his caffeine fix this offseason on a routine basis regardless, stopping by Starbucks every weekday morning for a strawberry Refresher, the fuel that's helped him expand his game during a summer spent working with famed coach Rico Hines.
Hines is best known for running open-gym scrimmages on the UCLA campus that always attract NBA talent and have more recently become fodder for offseason highlight tapes. He signed with the Sacramento Kings this summer as a player-development specialist.
Harrell, runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year in 2018-19 behind teammate Lou Williams, is coming off the best season his career. He averaged 16.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game while coming off the bench last season, all easy career-high numbers.
But Harrell isn't satisfied, heeding guidance from his exit interview with Clippers coach Doc Rivers to broaden his offensive skill set. He's worked with Hines all summer on three-point shooting, free-throw shooting, and making plays with the ball in space, traits that if improved will loom large toward the rebuilt Clippers living up to championship-favorite hype.
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