Previous Scouting Reports:
On Wednesday, the Portland Trail Blazers started their official workouts of draft prospects, leading up to the June 25th draft. The two big names brought in were Christian Woods from UNLV and Montrezl Herrell from Louisville. Some of the other less heralded prospects included Corey Hawkins, Stefan Nastic, Kenneth Smith, and Luis Montero.
Woods and Herrell are both power forwards that are slated to go in the later stages of the first round, where the Blazers’ pick sits at 23. Today I give my scouting report on Herrell and next week, I will have my report on Woods.
Herrell is a talented, energy, and high-motor player that could add a spark to any bench in the league. The Blazers’ front court is in question with the unknowing that surrounds the team’s pillar, LaMarcus Aldridge. Herrell could surely fill a hole.
On Wednesday, Herrell said about his workout in Portland, “I feel like I played pretty well. I came out and competed, just left it all on the floor. That’s all I can do. I just came out here and made sure that I didn’t take off any drills and just made sure every coach sees that I was working hard in every drill and competing in every drill that we did.”
That’s the kinds of attitude and work ethic that you want from a rookie. Herrell would sure add a different level of effort and enthusiasm. But is he a good fit for Portland?
Scouting Report: Montrezl Herrell
Hometown: Tarboro, North Carolina
Height: 6’7.5” (w/ shoes)
Weight: 253 lbs.
Noted Measurables: 7’4” wingspan, 9’1” standing reach, very long for his overcovered lack of size. (All measurements from 2015 NBA Combine)
School: University of Louisville (3 seasons)
Experience: 112 games, 3 years in college (First-team All-AAC 2014, Second-team All-ACC 2015)
Age: 21 (January 26, 1994)
College Statistics: 11.6 points per game, 6.9 rebounds per game, 1.1 blocks per game, 0.8 steals per game, 58.6% field goal
Scouting Report: Long for a wing, average for a 4. Athletically gifted. High energy at all times on defense. Can be a non-factor on offense for stretches. Can defend wings or bigs. Solid base overcomes size disadvantages. Can dominate smaller opponents. Tends to leave his feet too quickly on pump fakes. Shot release is high, but still inconsistent from midrange. Good help defender in the post or in pick and roll situations. Very gifted and instinctual rebounder, but will need to become better at boxing out against bigger opponents. Plays above the rim, roughly 30% of his points came from dunks. Fills lanes in transition. Energy guy. Can be a spark plug off the bench. Has some natural leadership qualities. Offensive game has improved but has a long ways to go. Size differences may be a problem in NBA. Will probably get quite a few technical fouls in NBA. Played for a winning program in college and also filled his role.
Highlights:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nKSkGGE9Tk] [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1Ef9HmfEfo]NBA Comparison: Gerald Wallace – Before you roll your eyes at this comparison, please remember that Wallace was an All-Star in this league at one point. Herrell can bring the same kind of energy and attitude to a roster. Wallace was aptly nicknamed “Crash” because of his energy and the fact he was always on the ground after loose balls. Herrell is the same kind of player. He comes from a very small town, a humble and hardworking family, and his style of play shows that. A couple other recent Blazer comparisons I also thought about some were Thomas Robinson and Will Barton … stay with me here. I thought of Robinson because that is the role that Herrell will likely find himself in. Trying to earn minutes on the court by playing with energy and effort. A big block here and a big dunk there. I thought of Barton because he plays with some of the same reckless abandon that Herrell plays with. Always in passing lanes, sometimes even when it isn’t the smartest thing to do. Great in transitions. Stupid athletic. But I ultimately went with Wallace for the fact that they are more similar in size and statistics. Although Herrell will find himself at the 4 much more than Wallace ever has.
Where he would fit in Portland: It is hard to place a power forward in Portland without knowing what is going to happen with LaMarcus Aldridge. If Aldridge were to bolt, that leaves the Blazers awfully thin and young at the 4-spot. Despite my belief that Aldridge will be back in Portland next year, there is still the worry. With Aldridge on this roster next year, Herrell would fit great as an energy, spark plug, type bench player. Give him a few years to more fully develop his offensive game and see what his ceiling can be. I have seen a few outlets say that Herrell has a high risk of being a bust, but I don’t see it. If he works as hard 7 days a week that he does on a game day, he is going to find his place in this league. Look at the power forward spot around the league. There is no stereotypical size anymore. Draymond Green, undersized. Kenneth Farried, undersized. Zach Randolph, oversized. OK, that last one was uncalled for but I had to, still a little bitter from the playoff exit. Back to Herrell, I think he would be a good fit in Portland at a position that is either the biggest or smallest need for the Blazers, all depending on whether Aldridge signs his 5-year deal.
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