San Antonio Spurs: Pros and cons of acquiring Montrezl Harrell

How Montrezl Harrell can benefit the San Antonio Spurs

Offense is easily Montrezl Harrell's strong suit. Despite being undersized on a nightly basis, the center has consistently been one of the most efficient backups in the league on offense, and his recent campaign with the Lakers is no exception.

This past season, Harrell logged 13.5 points per contest on a staggering 62.2 percent shooting from the floor in only 22.9 minutes per game. Clearly, he was able to maximize his production in a complementary role for the Lakers despite the team boasting a boatload of offensive weapons. In relation, his scoring average shoots up to 21.2 points in an adjusted per-36 minutes rate, solidifying his status as a highly impactful bench big.

Also, his rebounding numbers aren't top-notch, but Harrell actually registered a career-year in corralling boards. While 6.2 rebounds per game in almost 23 minutes per outing is far from imposing, his 13.2 boards per 100 possessions is an individual high for him. This also resonated well in five-man units with him at center, with the Lakers bench ranking second in the league in rebounding at 18.4 boards per contest.

The center position is a marginal source of offense for the San Antonio Spurs. Last season, after LaMarcus Aldridge's exit, Jakob Poeltl rose to starting duty but failed to move the needle much as a scorer. In 51 games as a starter, the Austrian tallied a modest 9.8 points per game in 29.2 minutes.

Drew Eubanks, his primary backup, didn't fare any better, logging a mere 5.8 points in limited court time. However, Gorgui Dieng was a bit of a silver lining, registering 5.3 points in only 11.3 minutes per game with a 3-point stroke to boast, though he's entering free agency.

Ultimately, if Harrell finds himself donning the Silver and Black, he should easily be the most potent offensive player at the center position for the Spurs as currently constructed. With San Antonio already trotting out one of the league's better bench units, he should fit right in as an immediate source of scoring from their big men while being an ideal complement to a player like the rangy Luka Samanic.