Montrezl Harrell grew up idolizing Rockets’ Jeff Green

LA Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell grew up idolizing Houston Rockets’ reserve forward Jeff Green.

Former Houston Rockets forward Montrezl Harrell is known for his high energy and his insane work ethic, which have each helped him immensely in his NBA career. Although Harrell is in line to land a major payday this offseason, he wasn’t exactly regarded as a can’t-miss-prospect coming out of college.

Harrell was instead viewed as an undersized big man who struggled to dominate on the glass at Louisville, while also lacking overall awareness. For these reasons, Harrell slipped to the Houston Rockets in the 2015 NBA Draft, who selected him with the 32nd pick of the second round.

Although there were doubters and naysayers who thought Harrell’s game was limited, what they didn’t realize was the magnitude of his motor. Harrell wasn’t able to display that much during his first two seasons in the NBA, as he received little playing time with the Houston Rockets.

But all that changed when the Rockets sent him to the LA Clippers, in exchange for Chris Paul in 2017. Harrell received an uptick in minutes and became a household name around the league, as he received consideration for the Sixth Man of the Year award in the 2018-19 season, while also being viewed as a candidate for the award this season.

Next: Harrell cites Green as early inspiration