LA Clippers: Can Brice Johnson, Diamond Stone contribute?
By Tom West
The LA Clippers’ rookie big men, Brice Johnson and Diamond Stone, have been impressing the team so far, but when and how will they be able to contribute?
The LA Clippers landed their top target in the 2016 NBA Draft when they selected power forward Brice Johnson with the 25th overall pick. It was a pick that the team and its fans could be pleased with, but the latter stages of the draft prompted more questions.
Trading the 33rd pick to the New Orleans Pelicans for the 39th and 40th overall selections was a surprise, and was even more startling when the Clippers selected an essentially unknown French point guard, David Michineau, at 39. Rather than taking a big name and highly promising point guard like Demetrius Jackson, projected by many to go in the first round but fell to 45, the Clippers went with Michineau.
We’re yet to see how this unexpected pick turns out. Michineau is heading back to France for next season, so we won’t see anything come to fruition in L.A. just yet. Meanwhile, the Clippers’ 40th selection, center Diamond Stone, likely has a better chance of making a mark with the team once he develops. He, similarly to Jackson, was also projected by many to be selected at the end of the first round.
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After parting with recent young players like C.J. Wilcox and Branden Dawson, the Clippers are ready to turn some rookie talent into players who can genuinely help the team further down the line.
Johnson has the best shot as the first round pick and other attributes that we’ll get onto next, but Doc has made it clear that he’ll let anyone break the rotation if they’re the right player for the job, as Dan Woike of the Orange County Register reported:
"“I’ve not met a coach yet that won’t play the players to help them win,” Doc said. “If one of those two can break through, I’m all for it,” Rivers said Wednesday. “I’m not going to hold them back. And, I think, I don’t know if it’ll be early, but one of them has a chance.”"
Doc added, “they both have the chance,” to contribute. But can they really? And, if so, which player has the better chance and who fits the team best?
Let’s begin with a look at Stone.