It took just a couple of months for Montrezl Harrell to emerge as one of the most authoritative voices on the Washington Wizards roster. The interior headed for the capital of the United States as part of Russell Westbrook’s transfer to the Los Angeles Lakers.
With his brief and unsuccessful Californian stint closed, Harrell has begun to exercise certain stripes in the team, mainly in terms of leadership. “Play with a different energy,” summed up the head coach Wes Unseld Jr.
The Wizards have started the season with two wins in three games. In them, Tarboro has averaged 15.3 points and 7.7 rebounds in 27.0 minutes coming from the second unit. But even more important than his numbers has been his attitude and a very competitive character capable of driving his teammates.
“It brings us that fire every night,” said Spencer Dinwiddie as reported the middle Washington Post. “His presence and mentality permeates the whole group. Where does that passion come from? Of their fight. I don’t know much about his early life, but someone who falls to the second round or is not drafted has to try a lot harder and figure out his place in the league. Nothing is guaranteed. You go to a team with a lot of veterans, a lot of stars. So to win a Sixth Man of the Year award and be a staple in the league, you’ve had to go through a few things. “
Harrell’s intensity on the court is innate, but his role as the vocal leader of a team is even more determined. After being chosen 32nd in the 2015 draft by the Houston Rockets, he was forced to earn a spot in some of the rosters most powerful of the moment until achieving the distinction as Sixth Man of the Year in 2020.
Therefore, it is aware of its role and how to adapt exactly to the needs of the workforce, in each destination, context and situation. Now in Washington, it is Bradley Beal who exercises the leadership role on the court, a responsibility that Harrell wants to replicate in the locker room.
“I tell everyone at all times that the guy leading the charge on the team is Bradley Beal. But Brad is one of those guys who leads by example. He will not really express it but will seek to be followed through his actions. So I want to be that endorsement that expresses things, because I really am not afraid of what someone has to say or how anyone feels. “
(Cover photo by Mark Blinch / Getty Images)