“Challenge Will be Just How Ready He is”: LA Clippers Head Coach Showcases Problems with Center

Part one of the NBA return in the Orlando Bubble is almost over. The seeding games are nearing their end, and next week, the playoffs commence. But for the LA Clippers, they are still missing one of their most important players. Montrezl Harrell still hasn’t played a single minute after leaving the bubble due to a family emergency.

Head coach Doc Rivers was asked about Harrell’s availability for their first-round playoff matchup against the Dallas Mavericks.

“I’m just going to throw him in there, he’s earned that right,” Rivers said. “The challenge will be just how ready he is. I don’t know if I have ever had a guy that hasn’t played in eight games or whatever and hasn’t had any practice and we’re just going to throw him out on the floor in a playoff game. We’re hoping that at this point.”

Will the LA Clippers manage without Harrell?

This season, Harrell was the best option off the bench for the Clippers. He averaged 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds and had a better performance from the bench than Mr. Sixth Man himself, Lou Williams. Not only did he bring energy and scoring off the bench, but his defense has also been vital for the Clippers.

Currently, the Clippers only have Zubac and an out of position JaMychal Green, as the only available options for the center position. They have 35-year-old Joakim Noah on the roster, but he isn’t good enough to get minutes on a championship favorite team.

“We got to play JaMychal [Green] at the five far more than we ever thought we would,” Rivers said. “We needed to work on that because he’s such a floor spacer. We’ve got way more work on that than we thought, but we actually liked it.”

It will be a tough situation for Rivers, but he would prefer an out of touch Montrezl Harrell over JaMychal Green.