Montrezl Harrell did what he was supposed to do in his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers. He provided scoring punch, boundless energy, and real moxie off the bench. He was a perfect fit.
But things got a little weird in the end for Harrell. The former Sixth Man of the Year looked like the 12th Man of the Year as he barely got playing time in the NBA Playoffs. He got a DNP in Game 2 and Game 3 against the Phoenix Suns and got meaningless minutes in the succeeding outings.
Harrell, always outspoken and passionate, sent out cryptic posts about his diminished role. But in his exit interview with the Lakers, he was more pointed with his remarks, saying he never complained and just did his work. He, however, also admitted that his future with the Lakers remains in doubt.
“I came in every day, I did my job, I did what they asked me to do. I played my role. It’s as simple as that. As far as my future, I don’t know that holds right now. We just finished playing last night, so I can’t give you that answer right now brother, but I came in, I did my job and whenever my number was called I went out there, played to the best of my abilities, and left it all on the floor.”
While everything he said sounds like cookie-cutter platitudes, Harrell wasn't lying. A player of his caliber should've had a bigger role in the NBA Playoffs, but Lakers coach Frank Vogel obviously saw it differently.
In his maiden stint with the Purple & Gold, Montrezl Harrell averaged 13.5 points on 62.2 percent shooting and 6.2 rebounds in 69. Nice.
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