Clippers' Draft Targets: DeAndre Bembry impresses at combine

The Los Angeles Clippers need to pursue a wing with their first pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, and one possible target, DeAndre Bembry, is impressing at the combine already.

The Los Angeles Clippers have two picks (25th and 33rd) in the 2016 NBA Draft, granting them the opportunity to address two areas of their roster at a pretty solid point of the night in comparison to barely entering the second round last year. First and foremost, though, as important as it is to address the frontcourt with the possibility of Cole Aldrich leaving for a pay rise in free agency, a new wing needs to be the priority with the first pick.

While multiple names from the same position will surely grab their attention, someone such as DeAndre Bembry is well and truly worth the Clippers’ 25th pick.

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In today’s NBA where versatility rules, Bembry is an ideal acquisition for a Clippers team in need of just that. Their starters form one of the best units in the entire league, but their bench, despite its improvement this season, still leaves something to be desired a lot of the time. In particular, rebounding, driving ability and ball movement are weaknesses that could all use addressing — three attributes that fall into Bembry’s forte. Although, seeing as the Clippers will struggle to create much more than a few million dollars in cap space this summer, a rookie (if Doc Rivers actually trusts them with some minutes) is even more valuable.

And with Bembry’s excellent three-year college career at St. Joseph’s already under his belt, the way he’s proving himself further in the NBA draft combine is even more encouraging for a team like the Clippers who could steal him late in the first round.

Rowan Kavner of Clippers.com reported the numbers of Bembry’s performance in a scrimmage game:

"His 18 points led all players in Game 2 of the scrimmages, and he also added four rebounds and three assists. He’s not quite 6-6, yet he showed he could score in the paint, even against some of the best NBA prospects."

18 points, four rebounds and three assists is the kind of performance we’ve come to expect from Bembry. He’s a 6’6″ wing that can play at both the two and three, providing impressive ball handling and playmaking ability on offense while playing hard defense at the other end.

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In his third and final year at college, Bembry averaged 17.4 points (on 47.9 percent shooting), 7.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. In fact, as if those numbers didn’t already sound impressive enough, Bembry was one of only three players (the other two being Ben Simmons and Denzel Valentine) to average at least 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists last season.

He’s a great ball handler to have playing from small forward, he can drive well to the basket and read and react to set up teammates or run the show from the top of the key, and he’s a sound athlete, too, capable of finishing with emphasis when attacking the rim (he’s recorded a 38-inch vertical at the combine already). Beyond his improved pull-up game from inside the arc, though, Bembry’s jump shot is his primary weakness (26.6 percent from three last season).

“As a college basketball player coming into Saint Joseph’s, I was a defensive player,” Bembry told USA Today prior to the 2016 NBA draft combine. “That’s something I’ve always prided myself in.”

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If Bembry can bring that defensive mentality to guard multiple positions (as he’s more than capable of doing) and use his playmaking to get more inside looks for the bench, he can be a factor whenever he gets on the court.

And as for that primary weakness, the Clippers will be pleased to hear he’s already working hard to turn things around.

“The first thing that’s always brought up is being more consistent with my jump shot,” Bembry said when discussing feedback from the pre-draft process so far. “I feel like if I get my jump shot down I’m a pretty hard guard. They said just keep doing what I’m doing, because my work ethic is pretty good, and the only thing we have to keep doing is get repetition. That’s the main focus right now.”

Next: Mock Draft: Who goes 1st and who do Clippers need most?

When combining that work ethic with Bembry’s versatility at both ends of the floor, it’s hard not to be intrigued by his potential when entering the NBA. And for the Clippers, a team with the 25th pick who may be lucky enough to snatch him up at the end of the first round, his talent and upside is even more exciting.

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Clippers’ Draft Targets: DeAndre Bembry impresses at combine

By Tom West | May 16, 2016

The Los Angeles Clippers need to pursue a wing with their first pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, and one possible target, DeAndre Bembry, is impressing at the combine already.

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