Montrezl Harrell has had a breakout season with the Los Angeles Clippers, one that now has him slotted in a shortlist of names that will battle for the Most Improved Player award — something he might not have reached without the help of sixth man extraordinaire Lou Williams.

The long-haired forward that inspired the “Karate Kid” headband craze in the NBA was always a high-motor cog off the bench, but it was Williams that unlocked the mental aspect of helping him fight for the team, instead of doing so to gun for a starting spot.

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“He taught me on how to take it as a pro,” Harrell told Khadrice Rollins of Sports Illustrated. “A lot of guys in my position that love to compete, love to be out there, love to be active, wouldn’t know how to actually handle that—coming off the bench. Because you want to be out there early, you want to be out there to help your team start off and get to that early jumpstart. But being with a veteran guy like Lou who’s been in this position for a long time in his career—there’s been a number of times when he could have went to a team and actually been the key player on the team—but he’s relished in his spot, in his position and what he do.”

Much like Williams, Harrell has relished his role as a vital cog in the Clippers rotation. As most successful role players will tell, the key to good chemistry is to have no role envy and keep the common goal in mind through each and every game.

The Clippers intrinsically have that, an organic relationship that has grown under an underdog role with the potential to surprise many teams in a rugged Western Conference.