2015 NBA Draft: Clippers have worked out 12 more prospects
By Tom West
The Los Angeles Clippers don’t have a pick in the 2015 NBA draft yet, but with the amount of rookie prospects they’re working out, it definitely looks like they want to make something happen. On Wednesday, they carried out two more workouts to test a bunch of new prospects, 12 of whom have been reported by Dan Woike of the Orange County Register.
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The Clippers worked out a mixture of guards, forwards and centers, although if they do manage to acquire a second round draft pick, they need to focus on big men. Simply because Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford are good enough to solidify the Clippers’ backcourt for now, whilst the likes of Glen Davis and Spencer Hawes are far less reliable — at both ends of the floor.
Here are the latest prospects to work out for the Clippers, that include some potential targets if they trade for a second round pick or hope to sign any undrafted rookies following the 2015 NBA draft:
The guards
Point guard Travis Trice, Michigan State (6’0″, 170 lbs)
Last year’s stats per game: 15.3 points, 39.7 FG%, 36.9 3P%, 71.5 FT%, 3.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1 steal, 1.8 turnovers.
Point guard Christopher Anderson, San Diego (5’7″, 150 lbs)
Last year’s stats per game: 7.7 points, 37.1 FG%, 31.9 3P%, 60.5 FT%, 2.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.9 steals, 2.8 turnovers.
Shooting guard Dezmine Wells, Maryland (6’5″, 215 lbs)
Last year’s stats per game: 15.1 points, 46.4 FG%, 51.0 3P%, 80.6 FT%, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1 steal, 3.3 turnovers.
Guard Chasson Randle, Stanford (6’2″, 185 lbs)
Last year’s stats per game: 19.6 points, 40.3 FG%, 36.3 3P%, 87.7 FT%, 3.3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.4 steals, 2 turnovers.
Guard Wesley Saunders, Harvard (6’5″, 215 lbs)
Last year’s stats per game: 16.6 points, 45.3 FG%, 42.5 3P%, 77.3 FT%, 6.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.8 steals, 2.6 turnovers.
Guard Andre Hollins, Minnesota (6’2″, 195 lbs)
Last year’s stats per game: 13.8 points, 41.8 FG%, 41.2 3P%, 75.6 FT%, 4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.8 turnovers.
Apr 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Matt Jones (13) lays the ball up past Michigan State Spartans guard/forward Branden Dawson (22) in the second half of the 2015 NCAA Men
The forwards
Forward Branden Dawson, Michigan State (6’6″, 225 lbs)
Last year’s stats per game: 11.9 points, 53.5 FG%, (no three pointers attempted), 49.0 FT%, 9.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.7 blocks, 1.9 turnovers.
Small forward Le’Bryan Nash, Oklahoma State (6’7″, 235 lbs)
Last year’s stats per game: 17.2 points, 46.2 FG%, 10.0 3P%, 79.1 FT%, 5.7 rebounds, 2 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.9 blocks, 3.2 turnovers.
Power forward Brad Waldow, St Mary’s (6’9″, 260 lbs)
Last year’s stats per game: 19 points, 55.8 FG%, (no three pointers attempted), 65.9 FT%, 9.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.7 blocks, 2.1 turnovers.
The centers
Matt Stainbrook, Xavier (6’10”, 270 lbs)
Last year’s stats per game: 12.3 points, 61.3 FG%, 20.0 3p% (only one make), 6.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.6 blocks, 2 turnovers.
Joshua Smith, Georgetown (6’10”, 350 lbs)
Last year’s stats per game: 10.8 points, 62.1 FG%, (no three pointers attempted), 5.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1 steal, 0.7 blocks, 2 turnovers.
Yanick Moreira, SMU (6’11”, 220 lbs)
Last year’s stats per game: 11.1 points, 55 FG%, (no three pointers attempted), 64.0 FT%, 6.4 rebounds, 1 assist, 0.7 steals, 1.2 blocks, 1.8 turnovers.
Regardless of the fact that the Clippers have worked out a host of guards, forwards and centers in preparation for the 2015 NBA draft, it still seems unlikely that they’ll want to select a guard.
If they are able to entice Paul Pierce to stay in the NBA one more year and sign him to a cheap contract (either the veterans minimum of just under $1.5 million or maybe up to $3.7 million) they will have all the wing players that they need in place. And if they acquire Pierce and elect to start him at small forward, the Clippers have a trio of Rivers, Crawford and Matt Barnes as backups — to provide some offense with the former two and defense with the latter.
With their wing rotation in place (if the Pierce scenario plays out) the Clippers are in need of a big man to support Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. If they don’t sign potential free agent options such as Tyler Hansbrough or Lavoy Allen, they may well opt to bring in a rookie instead.
And even if they are only able to get their hands on a late second round pick, the Clippers could still go after rookies who may begin their careers as undrafted free agents (as forecast by these three CBSSports mock drafts). For example, Joshua Smith, Branden Dawson or Brad Waldow — as all three could offer the kind of rebounding or defense that Davis and Hawes lack.
We’ll have to wait and see, but the Clippers might actually make something positive happen from the 2015 NBA draft.
Next: Blake Griffin is expanding his potential -- mentally and physically