Mar 21, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; California Golden Bears guard Allen Crabbe (23) watches as guard Justin Cobbs (not pictured) misses a free throw against the UNLV Rebels during the second half of the second round of the 2013 NCAA tournament at HP Pavilion. The California Golden Bears defeated the UNLV Rebels 64-61. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve last checked the mock drafts around the inter webs. Now with the draft combine past, here’s an update on who the Los Angeles Clippers may take with the 25th overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft with the addition of analysis from around different scouting sites:
SG Allen Crabbe
NBADraft.Net, Draft Express, HoopsWorld (Alex Kennedy), ESPN Insider (Chad Ford)
"At 6’6 and 200 pounds with a 6’11 wingspan, Crabbe has exceptional length for a guard. With a release point of nearly 7’0, he can shoot over the top of almost anyone defending him. That length will make him at least passable defensively while also letting him slide down to the three on occasion.Where he really separates himself from other shooting guard prospects is his ability to play off the ball. Most of Cal’s offense came from the defensive attention Crabbe demanded coming off screens. He knows how to curl off picks and attack the basket, and he can find the open man when he draws help."
SG Glen Rice Jr.
NBA.com
"Junior may not shoot as well as daddy, but he sure as hell can out-jump him. His 40.5 inch max vertical and 33 inch standing vertical ranks or ties him among top 5 in the combine. He plays above the rim, attacks it every chance he gets. He’s not the most fluid ball handler, and thus Rice cannot consistently get to the rim off the dribble, but he is pretty damn physical for a 210lb guy.At 22 years old, Rice still has a lot of holes in his game. I would not rank his basketball IQ as high. Passing and running pick and rolls are all still work in progress, but they all have been trending upwards in recent years. Rice shows some good instincts in making highlight passes on the move, but struggles on some of the more basic passes.The D-League is not a good place to learn defense (which makes the name somewhat ironic), but Rice has overall poor fundamentals, often caught standing upright and flat footed off the ball, he takes bad angles on defense, and picks up cheapies on bumps and reaches"
SG Ricky Ledo
SB Nation Analysis:
"At 6’6 and 200 pounds with a 6’7 wingspan, Ledo has the size to be a shooting guard at the next level. While he didn’t blow away with the athletic testing at the Combine, he more than held his own.However, without any statistics, it’s anyone’s guess how his skill-set translates into game competition. The lack of game reps in over a year isn’t his only red flag either."
PG Pierre Jackson
Draft Express Analysis
"Jackson has very good ball handling ability and quickness, and can change direction and speeds with relative ease. While he has an array of step back and pull-up jumpers, he’s also very good at getting into the paint with either hand. An explosive athlete with good hang time and body control, who has done a much better job of drawing contact this season, Jackson can still at times struggle to finish over length. Perhaps more of an issue than his physical size is his decision making, which while it has improved greatly, he can still force up difficult shots that aren’t always there.Jackson’s biggest negative at this time may be on the defensive end. His size, perhaps generously listed at 5’10”, will always present significant matchup problems for him at the next level. Beyond that, while Jackson, when engaged, can move his feet well, it’s his overall effort and attentiveness on this end of the court that may make it hard to find a spot for him at the next level. Jackson will simply fall asleep off the ball with alarming regularity. He also struggles to fight through screens, seemingly giving up very early in the process, resulting in a lot of unnecessary switches and defensive mismatches. Combine that with the disadvantage his height presents and the defensive side of the court is going to be a huge question mark decision makers have about his NBA prospects."
Tim Hardaway Jr.
"He has a lot of potential, both physically as a 6’6 two-guard and mentally as an at times dialed in scorer. The issue has always been that the light never fully went on, and for all the time on the court that he spent looking like a potential NBA player, he also spent time looking like he graduated from the Milford School.The one thing that I worry is missing are questions about his ability to impact the game in different ways. He was never an elite defender at Michigan, and his rebounding got better as he got older, but was still never great. If he hits scoring ruts in the NBA, will he have enough impact elsewhere to not make him a liability? I don’t know the answer to this, but I think it is a good question to ask for a player that sometimes goes cold."