Getty Images Lakers big man Montrezl Harrell.
Montrezl Harrell hasn’t seen the court during the last two playoff games against the Phoenix Suns, something that appears to be getting to the Los Angeles Lakers big man.
Harrell has liked multiple tweets on social media questioning why he hasn’t been in the rotation and fired off a cryptic post prior to Game 3.
“I trust no one promises are only open high risk for letdowns!” Harrell wrote.
Harrell also appeared to send a message to those doubting him in another post, writing: “Talk bout me all you wanna, don’t get it twisted. I will bust your favorite player ass in this game still!”
Montrezl Harrell
Harrell did find some room for a playful post, sending out a clip of himself and LeBron James celebrating on the sideline after a big play.
“Hit that walk wit me OG,” Harrell wrote.
James responded, “You already know Monsta!”
Lakers Have Options at Center Position
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel has opted to play Marc Gasol and Andre Drummond ahead of Harrell against the Suns. And with Anthony Davis sliding to the five at times, there are limited minutes to go around.
There’s also the fact of the matchup and Harrell as an undersized center isn’t the best solution to deal with former top pick DeAndre Ayton, who has notched a double-double in each game of the series so far.
“Yeah, we’re going to look at everything,” Vogel said prior to the series. “One of the games that we played Marc [Gasol] and Trezz together against Phoenix and they had some success.
“Obviously, we looked at some things defensively that were a concern as well, but everybody has to stay ready, including being able to use lineups at the five and we’ll do everything we’ll be able to do to win that game and like I said, everybody’s staying ready for when their number is called.”
Harrell is a sparkplug, which he showed in Game 1, logging 12 points in 15 minutes, snagging three rebounds and notching two steals. Harrell also came in and bumped Suns guard Cameron Payne during an altercation with Alex Caruso, picking up a technical.
Since the Lakers Drummond off the buyout market, Vogel has been clear that all his centers need to remain ready for their number to be called.
“Those guys got to stay ready,” Vogel said. “It’s my job to keep them ready. That’s going to be the plan going forward. And we’re going to need all three of them.”
Other Lakers Adjusting to Modified Roles in Postseason
Getty ImagesKyle Kuzma of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Harrell is not the only one adjusting to a new role in the postseason. Kyle Kuzma has been open about his lack of touches and second-year guard Talen Horton-Tucker has played just 13 minutes in the entire series after averaging 20.1 minutes in the reular season.
Depth is a good problem to have and Vogel is confident that he and his staff can continue to make the right in-game decisions to win games.
“For me, it’s just about whatever it takes to win that game,” Vogel said, per Silver Screen & Roll. “We coach to win. We set that tone with our group at the beginning of the season every year and our guys understand that some nights they’re going to play more than others, and we’re going to put the guys out there that are going to help us win that game.
“I put a great deal of thought into how a game could play out, and what impacts certain guys in that game, and obviously the coaching staff does a great job of making group decisions with me in-game to help us feel that stuff out. It doesn’t always play out well, but it’s one of those things where you just study it relentlessly, be as prepared as possible and make the best decisions that you can.”
The Lakers are 7-point favorites for Game 4 at Staples Center on Sunday, per Odds Shark. The total for the matchup is set at 210 points.
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